Jamshoro-based professor Waheeda Baloch takes the reins as the curator of the fourth Karachi Biennale (KB), which will grace the city from October 27 to November 10. The Karachi Biennale Trust (KBT), established in 2016 and led by Niilofur Farrukh, who serves as its CEO and Managing Trustee, has become a force in Pakistan’s art world. Previous curators — Amin Gulgee, Zeeshan Ahmed, and Faisal Anwar — each brought their unique artistic backgrounds to the table.

Waheeda marks a new chapter as KB’s first academic curator and its first female curator. A performance artist with a foundation in painting, her academic curatorship emphasises research and theory. She has long been captivated by the exploration of history, language and the pervasive influence of bias in shaping narratives.

Hailing from Mirpurkhas, famously known as the “City of Mangoes”, Waheeda grew up as one of seven sisters. Her eldest brother, the late Rafique Ahmad Naqsh, was a celebrated figure in literary and linguistic circles, and his influence left an indelible mark on Waheeda’s path.

Waheeda fondly recalls his impact on her life: “My brother passed away in 2013, but he was the reason my sisters and I had the opportunity to pursue education. In our Baloch family, girls weren’t traditionally encouraged to study or become professionals. But my brother’s passion for knowledge created an atmosphere where we thrived. Our family library in Mirpurkhas houses over 15,000 books, and it was in that environment that I discovered my love for Progressive Urdu Writers.”

With the latest iteration of the Karachi Biennale set to get underway at the end of this month, its curator opens up about what viewers can expect

Today, Waheeda serves as a professor at the University of Sindh, Jamshoro. She holds a master’s degree in Curating Art, including Art, Management and Law from Stockholm University, Sweden. Prior to this, she earned a master’s in Fine Arts from Sindh University and is now pursuing her PhD in Contemporary Art History at the Department of Asian and Islamic Art History at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn, Germany, which she hopes to complete next year.

KB24, provocatively titled “Rizq|Risk”, delves into the pressing issue of food security. The title itself plays on the delicate balance between sustenance (rizq) and the risks that threaten it. As some may already know, food security hinges on the Five A’s: availability, accessibility, adequacy, acceptability and agency. Yet, even when food is economically and physically accessible, it doesn’t always translate to security at the household level.

“Rizq|Risk” deftly navigates both local and global challenges, delving into critical issues, such as farming and fishing systems, the imperative for affordable, nutrient-dense food, the fortification of supply chains, and the complex risks that affect human, animal and environmental health. This theme encapsulates the urgency of equitable access and the strategic management of the intricate web of risks impacting global food systems.

With 17 artists hailing from diverse nations — from Austria to Colombia — the Biennale highlights the fascinating intersections of artists living between worlds, blending the cultures of their homelands with new environments. These include the likes of Elliana Otta (Peru/Austria), Monika Emmanuelle Kazi (France/Congo/Switzerland), Paloma Ayala (Mexico/Switzerland), Müge Yilmaz (Turkey/Netherlands), Salima Bayri and Ghita Skali (both Morocco/Netherlands), Sepideh Raha (Iran/Finland), and Tino Sehgal (UK/Germany).

Sehgal, Waheeda points out, has revolutionised contemporary art by shifting away from material production to focus on the ephemeral, using the human body itself as an artistic medium. “For him,” she explains, “the human body is a tool to create art.”

Among the 19 participating Pakistani artists, including a collective of five, are some of the nation’s prominent art figures: Naiza Khan, Farida Batool, Ayesha Jatoi, Mohsin Shafi, Imran Ahmed Khan, Asif Khan and Mahreen Zuberi. Waheeda proudly highlights Qadir Jhatial and Sadqain Riaz, who are focusing on the River Indus for KB24.

In her enthusiastic anticipation, the curator shares that 30 unique projects, many commissioned especially for KB24, will be showcased across five iconic locations: Bagh-i-Ibn-i-Qasim, Frere Hall, Alliance Française, NED University’s City Campus for Architecture and Planning, and Sambara Art Gallery, which she founded in 2021 at Liaquat Library, and where she curated the acclaimed Art Fest.

“I want the common man to engage with art,” Waheeda expresses with passion, “so I’m not particularly drawn to traditional galleries.”

The Karachi Biennale 2024 will take place from October 27-November 10, 2024

Rumana Husain is a writer, artist and educator. She is the author of two coffee-table books on Karachi, and has authored and illustrated 75 children’s books

Published in Dawn, EOS, October 13th, 2024