The Second Floor, a non commercial venture, is the only space in history of the city which in such a short span of time (App. 1.5 Years) has brought some of the nationally and internationally noted figures, including scientists like, Dr. Atta-Ur-Rahman people of international fame like David Barsamian, countries most celebrated and internationally renowned film makers, writers, poets, artists, social workers, human right activists, intellects, technologists and many others to it’s floors for the people of the city to hear them, question them and even sit over a cup of coffee to exchange thoughts with them, all in an effort to bringing like minded people from all segments of the society together. (more…)

Spoiler Alert: For those who still haven’t seen the movie, the post may reveal some of the plot. Read at your own risk!

A movie has multi-fold purposes. Some movies entertain, andsome movies educate. Still others make you think. Slumdog Millionaire, a movie shot in the slums of Mumbai, did a little of all of that. As the movie unreeled, telling the story of a street urchin who goes on to become a millionaire, I could’t help but place the boy in Karachi and wonder if his destiny would have been written any differently. (more…)

The Pakistani Photographers’ Organization (PPO), a non-profit entity comprised of Pakistani photographers from across the country and overseas, was set up to develop tourism and to promote Pakistani culture through photography.

PPO’s members have a diverse array of photographic interests; travel photography, people, cultures, street photography, landscapes, nature, and archeology.

Date: Saturday, 3rd January 2009

Time: 5:00 pm

Venue: The Second Floor (T2F)

PS : I am exhibting some of my work in this exhibition.

Since March 2000, through Concern for Children’s Community Driven Development Project, organization has made efforts to counter the deplorable conditions of Mohammadi/ Machar Colony. Mohammadi Colony is located in Karachi, behind the railroad tracks on Maripur Road. Its illegal status deprives it of water, sanitation, education and health care.

At this point CFC’s most dominating component in the Community Driven Project is Education and Using art to raise awareness and funds is exactly what CFC aimed at as part of its education component in Mohammadi colony. For the same, CFC has arranged a fundraiser, all proceeds of which will benefit this project.

Featuring: Saad Haroon and Shark troupe.

Date: 16th Nov, 2008

Time: 8:00pm

Location: Pakistan American Cultural Center (PACC)

Tickets available at CFC’s office (2203269), Muzika and Hotspot.

Yesterday, 12 of November, 2008 Oxford University Press Launched “Journey To God” a book written by DR. Jurgen Wasim Frembgen. The book is a revised English translation from the original German edition by Jane Ripken. The book surveys the whole Muslim world with special emphasis on Pakistan and India to understand the Sufi Islam as being embedded in wider and social and cultural context focusing on it’s concrete, practiced and live forms, showing how popular Sufism developed into almost ubiquitous mass movement, present in all levels of the Muslim society as a dynamic force until modern times. The book tries to synthesize the perspective and approaches of ethnography, history and Islamic studies to explore the different facets of Sufism which sets this book apart from various other introductory books available on the topic. The book not only address to the Sufi and Dervish traditions as a spiritual path following mystical teachings but also focuses on it’s popular manifestations as a ritualized, performance – oriented part of the local everyday religion.

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 The Kunj Art Gallery opened it’s doors today to a vibrant display of beautiful paintings by Rafique Soomro. The young artist born in Hyderabad has a masters in political science and has done his Art masters certification with first class first position in 1997..

The paintings exhibited by the artist portray women of the Thar Desert and the issues they deal with on the daily bases. One is sure to spot a “Matka”, an earthen vessel used to store drinking water, in almost all his paintings pointing to the major and much talked issue of availability of drinking water for there people. Poverty is also quite clearly addressed along with children who are shown standing idle with their mothers or young girls walking with a matka. The artists says his works comes from heart, and he has well addressed much talked issues of the people through portraying these women because he feels these women suffer the most due to these issues yet they battle for survival and raise their children with a bold stance.   (more…)

One hears so much hoopla these days whenever something controversial happens. Financial situation has gotten worse, many banks are rumoured to be closing down and cutting down operations, while commodity prices are reaching new highs. A lot of budget cuts are happening in case of brands, cancellation of campaigns, concerts and what not.

It was a high time that an event happened to shake this town a bit. Seventh Lux Style Awards did just that. Shook up some people and created lots of controversies.

LSA was postponed in August to be held in Karachi at the DHA Golf Club on 29th Oct, 08, with much razzmatazz and security precautions. Whatever and however the event was organized, one has to give credit to the brand for going ahead with the event even when every head in the industry was going this way and that.

I’ll steer away from the controversy wagon about who wore what and said what. That’s just an industry thing and happens all the time (e.g. Gia going bald). What I will review on however is: how I was blown away by the performance of Reshma,–a very well known Punjabi folk singer–Atif Aslam and Shehzad Roy. Their fusion performance received a resounding round of applause. Reshma also received the Lifetime Achievement Award and candidly accepted the fact that she could not speak English and would prefer commenting in Punjabi.

Yes, there were lulling minutes, when the power went down; heck, it’s Karachi after all! At least the audience didn’t have to wait for the ceremony to start for hours. Shaan and Ali Azmat did fitting anchoring of the show along their female cohorts. And for the first time, students from NAPA and NCA were recognized and four outstanding students (two each from NAPA and NCA) were awarded Unilever Scholarships.

Continue for a complete list of winners: (more…)

Kolachi as the name holds a rich culture and heritage which is somewhere lost in the new image of a metro and cosmopolitan city will be highlighted in the photography exhibition themed “Don’t mess with Karachi”.

“PROLOGUE KARACHI”, a beginning of era which will bring forward the city’s better or worse side. The citizens of Karachi will see a new dimension through the camera lens of our young aspiring photographers who have shown and highlighted those areas which are ignored. It covers subjects like architecture, litter, traffic, scenery, society, people, etc.

This Photography exhibition is a part of “Don’t mess with Karachi” anti litter campaign will bring the citizens from all income class and groups under one roof which will flourish the feeling of unity and togetherness for the cause. The event will help in raising funds which will be utilized installing the dustbins in the city. (more…)

This October 2008, 60 museums and art spaces around the world are showcasing Pedro Meyer’s Heresies Exhibition around the world. Karachi’s The Second Floor is the venue for Pakistan to be exhibiting this fabulous exhibition, a retrospective comprising of four decades of groundbreaking work by one of the world’s most innovative photographer.

” Mexican photographer Pedro Meyer is as renowned for his powerful and provocative photographs as he is for his pioneering work with digital imaging. Meyer’s photographs consistently test the limits of truth, fiction and reality. With the advent of digital photography in the early 1990s, Meyer evolved from a documentary photographer who created so-called “straight photographs” into a digital-documentarian who often combines photographic elements from disparate times and places to arrive at a different or higher truth.

 Meyer’s oft- expressed contention that all photographs — digitally manipulated or not — are equally “true” and “untrue” has been labeled “heretical” in the orthodox documentary photography community. Hence the title Heresies. ”

 

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For 3 days at the Arts Council, Karachi was treated to the most riveting performances by Ajoka, a theater group headed by Madeeha Gauhar. The series of three plays, called ‘Theater in the times of Jihad’, was a theatrical experience that gripped its audience from beginning to end. I was unfortunate to have missed the first two performances- Burqavaganza and Bulla; but Hotel MoenjoDaro, the last play of the series, left no room for regrets.

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