KARACHI: The final event in the distinguished lecture series held to mark the 25th anniversary of Mohatta Palace Museum was a presentation on “Revisiting the Visual Language of Mazars and Bazaars” by Saima Zaidi, Additional Curator of the Museum .
She was introduced to the audience by artist Durya Kazi.
Zaidi’s lecture was divided into three parts. The first was her 2010 published book Mazaar Bazaar: Design and Visual Culture in Pakistan, which she edited. The second one was about a curation project called “Scheherazade: The Walled City Anthology.” And the last part was about her upcoming book ‘Hazaar Bazaar’.
Regarding the first section, Ms. Zaidi said that Mazar Bazaar has five sections. Reading – visual meaning of the text. Be Pakistani, buy Pakistani and celebrate local consumer culture. Pakistan Zindabad, construction of national identity. And the perspective before division.
She began the first part of her presentation in reverse order, talking about Nizami’s Kamsa, five tales of romance and adventure, legends of both Arabic and Persian literature that celebrate the painting and calligraphy traditions of Mughal India. did. That inspired her to tell the story of Iskandar and the Kipchaks.
“It is about Alexander’s journey through the Kipchak Desert of Turkey. Here he and his soldiers encounter a veiled beauty. The custom of this country is to hide the veil on women. Alexander is worried that his men are becoming restless observing the beauty around them. So he approaches the Kipchak elders and asks the women to cover their faces with veils. Interestingly, they turned and reprimanded him, saying that a veil should be placed over the eyes of the soldiers. Dissatisfied with the answer, he consulted a magician, who told him to It is proposed that a performance be performed with veiled women in the room.The women are attracted to that image and cover their faces.”
Zaidi said this story shows the power of images and the impact they have on us.
Continuing the discussion, she showed an image of a 1951 Tibetan talcum powder package with a picture of a shy woman on it. The artist who created this work was Manzoor Ahmed, one of a generation of artists influenced by the women of early South Asian cinema. She followed it up with other photos, including a poster for the Jala Paulan vs. Inoki match, which depicts the concept of masculinity, and a photo of Roo Afza and a bottle of Pakora, symbolizing patriotism.
Concluding her research, she emphasized that these images show a pluralistic and inclusive society based in the region that is present-day Pakistan. “This is a celebration of diversity.”
Ms. Zaidi then shifted her focus to the second part of her talk. This part was an immersive curatorial project about her 1,000-plus years of android Cher living in Lahore, a city within a city.
She told the participants that the installation of the project has started in Delhi Darwaza. Sabir Wali Gali, Patri Gali, Poulon Wali Gali and Chowk Wazir Khan also participated in this work. There were installations such as “1001 Flowers” and “Lahore Da Daman.”Summing up that part, she said it’s about strangers coming together and community engagement. [since it was for the general public].
Speaking about her upcoming book, “Khazar Bazaar,” scheduled to be published this year, Zaidi said: It consists of six sections: Spaces of Transition, Spaces of Transactions, Gazes, Texts and Textures, Ambivalent Archives, and Mazar Durbar.
The presentation was followed by a waaee recital by Zulfiqar Ali, Nazar Hussain and Mazhar Hussain.
Published at Dawn on March 7, 2024