The show brings together a diverse collection of documentation of performances resulting from the creative exploration and collaboration of artists during their residencies.

This exhibition invites viewers to immerse themselves in the compelling narratives, innovative techniques, and thought-provoking themes that have emerged from the unique experiences and environments that Vasl residencies offer.

Through this showcase, we celebrate the power of artistic exchange and the transformative impact of creative immersion, offering a glimpse into the distinctive perspectives and journeys of these select creative practitioners.

Saat Daryaon ke Paani se Dhuli Meri Rooh,
Phir bhi rahi Gadli

Loud Speaker project in collaboration with Open Society FoundationsBy Natasha Jozi & Mavera Rahim

March 2019

Performers: Maha Minhaj, Ramsha Nesar and Zoya Currimbhoy

This film is directed and edited by Natasha Jozi

The body rises as the orange droplets of dew fallIt obliterates, inches its way through the crestPicks off thousand particles one by one

It breathes

A little

This project is a chance for participants to situate themselves in performance, space, and art on an experiential level. It aims to provide a collaborative space where artists can discover what performance is and what it means in our cultural and environmental context. The concept of this project comes from a drive to re-examine our place in a constantly shifting, commodified, urban, increasingly compartmentalized lifestyle. Through reacquainting ourselves with basic elements like water, air, and sand, we look to take an internal journey and situate our bodies in nature. Central to our approach for this performance/workshop is the presence of the sea and our relationship as human beings to it – both literally and in terms of what the sea represents, as a reminder of the ever presence of the infinite, the unknown, the enigmatic, the holy, and the basic necessity of all-natural life. The sea is one of the most mysterious and alienated places to human beings on earth, yet is central to all life on earth and the origin of all living beings. Just as we all came from the sea, so can we return and reinterpret our identity as human beings through engagement with our original home.

 

Jamming in Karachi

International Artists’ Residency

By Carolijn Terwindt

October – December 2019

Riding on the road of music to the heart of Karachi, I jammed in various constellations with inspiringly dedicated NAPA students. Particularly enriching for me was the delving into the world of South-Asian classical music with the pentatonic scale and different approaches to melodies as expressed, for example, in Ragas. Jamming is like reaching out a hand, and then a handshake. It celebrates the now and the here and the – if only temporary – relationship between the musicians. Jamming together means recognizing the humanity, passion, and talents in the other person. A workshop conducted by a NAPA student and me titled “Seen Music. Music Talks” allowed a swift deepening of conversation as participants shared their feelings evoked by the music and their imagined landscapes while listening. As one of the workshop participants said, “Music is an attachment of the soul.” A series of audio recordings capture the joy of joint improvisation and rehearsal of songs.

A performance piece revived my interest in violin improvisation in city streets. In particular, a trip to Paris in the late 1990s in which I loved to perform and touch people with my music in Montmartre and the Centre Pompidou prompted me to wonder how Karachiites and their lively street culture and Chaiwallas across the city would respond to a spontaneous – female, white – street musician. A video documents these encounters as the public spaces were briefly transformed by a musical intervention calling attention to a shared experience, and – possibly – communal joy.

 

The home maker returns

Outside In, Inside Out – Vasl exhibition in collaboration with The Gallery T2F

By Raasmia Haque

April 2021

Raasima Haque’s sculptures are a direct response to how females are in a domestic environment. She has created wooden immersive sculptures, in the form of footwear in response to how she views architecture in a household setting.

‘Outside In, Inside Out’ features three emerging artists, invited to reflect, develop and produce on the theme of facades, spaces, and architecture. Mina Arham and Zahra Asim from Lahore and Raasmia Haque from Karachi have previously worked together at Vasl Artists’ Association’s summer residency Forms/Facades in 2019.