Lahore biennale 01 : guide

Lahore constitutes a rich and complex urban site for artistic intervention. The city has seen successive social, ideological, economic, and political changes over its extended past; including the eras of the Mughals, the Sikhs, the British Raj and post-Partition sovereignty. Although the city has been reconstructed numerous times, both physically and ideologically, it has demonstrated resilience and adaptability, and has emerged as a major agricultural, industrial, educational, and cultural center in South Asia.
With its multifaceted cultural legacy and numerous educational and cultural institutions, Lahore has produced some of the most internationally acclaimed artists of the region. Many of these artists have come from urban and rural backgrounds from across Pakistan and abroad. Although their work has brought some regional and global recognition to the city, this achievement is based primarily on the reputation of individual artists and the pedagogy within selected educational institutions. The city itself has not so far significantly featured as a space that consistently engages artistic practice with diverse publics.
In order to address the dynamics of “public engagement” in the arts, LB01 will test the parameters of “art” and “public,” and contextualize this relation within the specificities of Lahore and in a global context. For this purpose, the LB01 will develop diverse projects in public spaces and create public programs, along with opportunities for critical thinking and practice in its Academic Forum. The frameworks of engagement will be varied; and will include tapping into Lahore’s public consciousness or collective memory, conversing with existing institutions that seek renewed participation, or proposing new ways of community involvement.
Exhibitions and events for LB01 will be held at seven major venues that engage with the city’s Mughal, Colonial and Modern layers. The inaugural Biennale recognizes the city in relation to its region, as reflected in the presentation of artists selected, and in the Biennale’s core and collateral programming. Over 60 artists will participate, including artists based in Bangladesh, India, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Sri Lanka, as well as from Europe and the United States.