Urban Periphery: ecological neglect and land distribution | Karachi Biennale 2019

(Group Show)

IVS Alumni Show 2019

The artwork aims to translate the rubble memory of the demolished Jufelhurst School into an archival exhibit. It consists of pictorials and objects that describe the narrative of the Jufel Hurst School.

Jufel Hurst School was founded on Feb 1, 1931, in three rooms of an old house that belonged to Miss Sybil D’ Abreo’s parents. It stood strong through World War II in 1939 followed by Partition in 1947. The school was nationalised in 1974 and slowly began to deteriorate because of a lack of maintenance. In 2012, The KBCA issued a notice to demolish the school for safety reasons. The Jufel Hurst Alumni Association appealed the ministry of culture and ministry of education to save the educational building, thus, the school was listed as a heritage building by the Ministry of Culture. However, in April 2017, with no regards to the historical importance of the building, it was demolished.

The Timeline of Karachi is a photographic exploration of the city throughout the years and its evolving urban landscape. It recaptures Karachi’s essence in its formative and early years through archival images and the eyes of its citizens. Each decade offers a glimpse into Karachi’s extraordinary history, culture, architecture and key moments. The project is a mutual collaboration of I AM KARACHI (IAK), The Citizen’s Archive of Pakistan (CAP), Fujifilm Pakistan Pvt. Ltd, Marvi Mazhar and Associates and District Municipal Corporation (DMC East). A true manifestation of public and private partnership. The Timeline of Karachi is a tribute to the people of Karachi, encouraging them to take pride and preserve public art within the city. These walls now stand as a best practice of PUBLIC ART and now open to display for general public.

Space and Place - My Coordinates is the layer of recognition and my placement is not permanent. It’s a theatrical experience, where you and I change characters in front of an audience who might not relate, who might not indulge in the depth of your unforgiving urban smell. Darling, chai is ready and you are full of surprises. I am, because of you. 

Karachi has taken a loved one from me and in return gave me another. Working around this love-and-hate relationship I thought of the idea of the sun and how it brings life and happiness and energy. All that comes to an end and we adapt to live without it only to be dawned by a new day. 

Material: Metal and white thread.

'An incident in 12 seconds can change life.' Karachi you are complicated, complex, and unforgiving. Built environment creates memory and public has amnesia. The straightforward definition of heritage as the contemporary use of the past has the advantage of side-stepping some contentious issues. It is us- in society, within human culture- who make things mean, who signify. Meanings, consequently will always change. From one second to another. Politics, public spaces and landmarks are elements and a traffic light is a 120 second motion in which we divide 60 seconds to stop, 12 seconds to move and rest to reorient from organized to disorganized movement. 

Aesthetic trends, the emergence of new materials and production technologies, ergonomics, social, cultural and behavioral changes are all reflected in its design over the decades. Designing a space or slab or void for external / internal space keeping material and proportion intact - theoretical research and concept for the 'Chair' design process will be through understanding of the Masters and their reflection.

Design Keywords: 

Material Understanding • Proportions • Durability • Internal / External • Joinery • Bolts Details • Craftsmanship • Artisans • Vernacular • Design Aesthetics • Process and Concept

Product: Chair
Opening: Tuesday, June 16th | 3:30 pm
Exhibition Dates: Tuesday, June 16th - Thursday, June 18th
Curators: Arch. Marvi Mazhar & Arch. Salman Javed

An exhibition by the 5th year Architecture students at the Department of Visual Studies, University of Karachi.