Pakistani art and architecture unfold with nuance at an unprecedented exhibition: MANZAR: Art and Architecture from Pakistan 1940s to Today, on display till the 31st of January 2025, at Qatar Museums tracing over 80 years of the country's creative legacy and heritage, offering a reflective exploration of its evolving cultural landscape.
“Art is a universal language that transcends linguistic and geographic boundaries. It is through culture and artistic exchange that we celebrate our diversity and rich heritage, deep and mutual understanding between us and the rest of the world”, Sheikha Al Mayassa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums articulated in her opening address for the fall season of Qatar Museums’ extensive line up of exhibits.
Echoing this ethos, Qatar Museums introduced this one-of-a-kind exhibition. In her foreword for the MANZAR catalogue, Sheikha Al Mayassa goes on to say, “Grounded in our cosmopolitan society, MANZAR hopes to create a dialogue with our local and international audiences, welcoming and paying tribute to the many communities based in Qatar from Pakistan and South Asia in particular.”
Organized by the future Art Mill Museum in collaboration with the National Museum of Qatar, the exhibition showcases the rich and diverse artistic output from Pakistan over the past eighty years; an ambitious endeavour amazingly executed in a single space. Curated by Caroline Hancock, Art Mill Museum Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art; Aurélien Lemonier, Art Mill Museum Curator of Architecture, Design and Gardens; and Zarmeene Shah, the Director of Graduate Studies at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) in Karachi, the exhibition features over 200 artworks, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, installations, and more, alongside commissioned pieces from contemporary artists and architects based in Pakistan and its diasporas.