The fourth edition of the Karachi Biennale (KB24) is set to kick off in the port city next week.
Considered to be Pakistan’s largest contemporary art exhibition in the public space, the event is scheduled to take place at five public venues across the city from October 27 to November 10.
This year's theme is "Rizq", "Risk" focussing on the threats food security faces in the country due to various factors such as climate change impacts from floods and the resultant ecological threats posed and the risk to the basic rights. The organisers hope that the art will help spark a dialogue between residents of the city and the wider Pakistani society on these issues
This year's biennale will be the first time a woman will be curating the citywide exhibit with Waheeda Baloch, a professor at the Jamshoro University. She is bringing a host of ideas on the impacts of floods she experienced in recent years with local and around two dozen foreign artists to participate as well.
The public art show will be open to all with free entry and will provide an opportunity to the public see and interact with world-class art in a city with few public art galleries.
The two-week programme will showcase works in various media, including installations, pop-ups, performances, workshops, hybrid seminars and interactive sessions. The exhibits and interactions will take place at NED University (city campus), Sambara Art Gallery, Frere Hall, Bagh Ibne Qasim, and Alliance Francaise.
The first edition of the biennale was held in 2017 and saw participation from national as well as international artists, a trend which has continued for each of its three editions and promises to continue for its fourth edition as well.
Further details and the schedule of the exhibits can be found at www.karachibiennale.org.pk.