Critical Dialogue & Public Voice
A strong discursive component undergirds the exhibitions, public programming, and community outreach activities of the Karachi Biennale.
Addressing Epistemic Erasure
One of the major concerns that we must grapple with as a postcolonial society is what Gayatri Spivak calls an "epistemic violence" inflicted by foreign oppressors.
Prior to the events of the first Karachi Biennale, we planned multiple interventions to address these concerns, guided by the theme – WITNESS. The critical dialogue began with a panel titled 'Film as Witness' during the Pakistan Calling Film Festival in November 2016.
Interdisciplinary Roundtables
In early 2017, we commenced with 5 interdisciplinary roundtables that facilitated dialogue about the complex layers of activities and experiences contributing to the vibrancy and turmoil of Karachi.
Independent thinkers, poets, writers, musicians, and activists—with diverse interests encompassing the position of women in society, urban interventions, and cultural engagement in the political, economic, and social spheres—came together with artists to reflect on how they collectively experience and respond to their city.
5 Interdisciplinary Roundtables Overview
Women's Movement
Dialogue on the developments and challenges in women's rights and visibility since 2000.
Testimonies of the City
Architects and activists debating territorial layout changes and community access in Karachi.
Resisting Erasure
Collaboration of poets and visual designers reviewing memory retrieval methods through regional poetry.
Sound & Rupture
Musicians and artists exploring acoustic interventions and experimental visual soundtracks.
South-South Study
Exploring historical convergences between Latin American and South Asian socio-political shifts.
Discursive Circle Gallery
