LB02 Inaugural Weekend

Local and international artists and curators, public figures and patrons gathered with art lovers over the weekend (January 26-28, 2020) to open the second edition of the Lahore Biennale (LB02) on January 26, 2020. The inauguration ceremony took place amidst majestic surroundings in Hazuri Bagh, a garden in the city’s historic fort. Newly commissioned projects were unveiled alongside important works of contemporary art: Diana Al Hadid’s remarkable public sculpture in the gardens of Divan-e-Aam, inspired by the popular legend of Anarkali; installations by diaspora artists Hajra Waheed, Haroon Mirza and Khadim Ali and paintings by Ethiopian artists created in Lahore. In the Summer Palace, dozens of participating artists and curators visiting Pakistan for the first time mingled with the public as they viewed Wael Shawky’s Cabaret Crusades, exhibited alongside sculptures by Dagestan’s Taus Makhacheva. Chief guest Dr. Arif Alvi, the President of Pakistan, thanked Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, for her efforts in curating the Biennale.

A centerpiece of the Biennale is an ambitious, immersive multimedia installation on Islamic cosmology at the PIA planetarium. Created by Berlin-based, Kazakhstan-born artist Almagul Menlibayeva, it is inspired by the astronomical discoveries made by Islamic astronomers in Samarkand. Site-specific performances by the Amsterdam-based sound artist German Popov and Russian artist Inna Artemova have added to its sublime effect, mesmerizing visitors on subsequent days with the help of classically trained local musicians. Other noteworthy performances included a stunning musical experiment by Haroon Mirza in Gaddafi Stadium’s Alhamra Amphitheatre. Veteran artists Rasheed Araeen and Anwar Saeed were honored with special awards.