Installation | Karachi A, B, C

Karachi is like Alif, Bay, Paay (A, B, C)
Participating Artists

Karachi is like Alif, Bay, Paay (A, B, C)is a collaborative, 35 channel video installation that corresponds to each of the 35 alphabets in Urdu language. Completed at a recent residency at VASL International Artists’ Circle in Karachi Pakistan (Fall 2008), I employed the assistance of students and fellow artists residing in Karachi by asking them to contribute a short video that describes the city based on an assigned Urdu letter. Played in a continuous loop, these videos share aspects of the city that each individual felt was important, personal, funny, or something they wanted to share with other people.

As one of the largest cities in the world, Karachi is home to over to thirteen million people. Yet despite the city’s significant historical, social and economic importance, Karachi is not particularly known as an international destination or cosmopolitan centre. This is primarily due to the sectarian and political strife within Karachi: the result of which has lead to restricted travel between the city’s boroughs and limited circulation information on Karachi’s demographics and neighborhoods. These issues drew me into Karachi’s history and I was eager to learn more about the city by having both the residents of Karachi and residency participants visualize their stories and experiences. This project allowed me to understand not only the projects participants work but also their neighborhoods, social and ethnic backgrounds. Through their videos about the city I was able to reacquaint myself to living in Pakistan and gain a sense of Karachi’s diversity and dynamism.

Title: Aks Dar Aks
Artist: Monali Meher
Title: Array
Artist: Raza
Title: Bus Bay Bus
Artist: Wajid Ali
Title: Chai
Artist: Mehwish
Title: Deikh Magar Payar Say
Artist: Rakshanda
Title: Drone
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Fasla
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Galba
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Gun
Artist: Naija
Title: Harkat
Artist: Mitra Birdie
Title: Hum Sub Umeed Say Hain
Artist: Sahar Rashid
Title: Intizar
Artist: Monali Meher
Title: Javaid
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Khauf
Artist: Naveed Iqbal
Title: Kirki
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Load Shedding
Artist: Sahar Javaid
Title: Mohafiz
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Naqsh-o-Nigar
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Parwaz
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Qawali
Artist: Jeannette Gaussi
Title: Raftar
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Saf Basta
Artist: Jeannette Gaussi
Title: Sakoon
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Saqeel
Artist: Adeela Suleman
Title: Shoor
Artist: Ammad
Title: Tawaf
Artist: Hasan Mustafa
Title: Taxi
Artist: Wajid Ali
Title: Teer-e-Nazar
Artist: Wajid Ali
Title: Wow
Artist: Auj Khan
Title: Yaad
Artist: Farah Nasir
Title: Zabt
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Zang
Artist: Naiza Khan
Title: Zara
Artist: Riaz Mehmood
Title: Zarf-e-Nigahe
Artist: Seema Nusrat
Title: Zia
Artist: Riaz Mehmood

Installation view

Karachi is like Alif, Bay, Paay (A, B, C)

Participating Artists