LB04

Open call for poets: Conference of the Stray Birds invites contributions from across Eurasia

Conference of the Stray Birds will present its inaugural collection of poems at Lahore Biennale 04: The Shape of Coexistence, taking place in spring 2027. The collection reflects on the legacies and possible afterlives of twentieth-century internationalism across Eurasia. Of particular importance to us are the internationalist writers’ conferences that took place across Soviet Central Eurasia in the post–World War II period. At these gatherings, writers and poets from different countries came together to share ... More

Programs

LBF Virtual Museum | 75 Years of Cultural Histories of Pakistan

The LBF Virtual Museum is a platform that investigates the cultural heritage of Pakistan and the legacies of creative practice that have emerged from it, with ‘place’ being a significant contextual frame. The museum will produce knowledge that will be rooted in the local domain and function as an online repository of data and research generated by itself and the project at large.

Public Outreach

Dekho Lahore

Launched in 2015, the web-based collaboration between the Lahore Biennale Foundation and the public, #DekhoLahore, was planned as a visual investigation of LBF’s home base. Creative individuals were encouraged to photograph the city’s many facets on a weekly basis, and the selected images were shared on our social media outlets regularly.

Research

LBF – AAN Research Grant – 2018

Announced in Summer 2018, the LBF – Research Grant was intended for an individual or collective whose research focuses on movements and shifts in modern and contemporary art practice in Pakistan or its diaspora. Therefore, this call invited research proposals that address arts that arise from or are significant to Pakistan.

Publications

CORD OF DESIRES

CORD OF DESIRES by Miro Craemer was created during his two-months artist residency in Karachi, Pakistan, hosted by Vasl Artists' Collective, in the framework of Urbanities - art and public space in Pakistan.

Programs

Zero Waste Initiative

The Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF) is committed to fostering sustainable practices through its Zero Waste Initiative, aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of our projects and daily operations. As part of this commitment, we have implemented a comprehensive waste management system that emphasizes recycling, repurposing, and responsible disposal methods.

Programs

Bagh-e-Jinnah (Lawrence Gardens) | Rooted/پیوستہ

Rooted/پیوستہ (Paivasta) is a public art project at Bagh-e-Jinnah (Lawrence Gardens), Lahore. Curated and commissioned by the Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF) and British Council Pakistan, with generous support from the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Lahore, the project is second in the Art in Public Spaces series. Lahore is historically known as the City of Gardens. From Mughal monuments such as Shalimar Gardens and Hazuri Bagh, to magnificent examples from the colonial era like Bagh-e-Jinnah (formerly Lawrence Gardens) that envelopes the present-day Quaid-e-Azam Library, and also Jilani Park (formerly Race Course Park), green spaces have always been a central feature of Lahore’s ... More

Public Outreach

artSPEAK | Public Engagement through Art

The Lahore-based Awami Art Collective, a group of cultural practitioners, were invited to speak about their aim of bringing art to public spaces and why they considered such interventions to be of importance. Their ethos of celebrating diversity and enabling peaceful co-existence in a pluralist society particularly aligns them with the Lahore Biennale Foundation’s (LBF) own mission. The conversation covered the history of the collective as well as their recent projects and concerns, in order to reflect upon the context in which art can meaningfully engage with public space. The event was held at The Last Word on August 10, ... More

Research

LBF Research Fellowship: Building A National Film Archive

Announced in Summer 2018, the Lahore Biennale Foundation Research Fellowship was open to any individual or collective interested in researching any aspect of modern or contemporary art and visual culture of Pakistan. Award selection was based on the clear identification of the research methodology and archives used, and the relevance of the topic in contributing new knowledge and insight. A public announcement of the award resulted in many submitted applications. The final selection was made by an independent jury. Artist Hira Nabi was the recipient. The total amount awarded for the 2018 cycle was Rs. 300,000. The distinguished mentor for this ... More

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Publications

Stories We Tell – Aao Sunayein Kahani

Stories We Tell 'Aao Sunayein Kahani' is an audio/visual storytelling project of The School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) at Beaconhouse National University and the Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF) made possible with the support of the Centre for Culture and Development (CKU). The art of conversation and storytelling has played a pivotal role in suturing together the cultural fabric of South Asia. Since time immemorial this was how histories were transferred between generations; survival narratives were created and exchanged; and instructional anecdotes to sustain everyday life were passed down.

Publications

Lahore Biennale Reader 02

Between Jan 26 and Feb 29, 2020, the Lahore Biennale 02 was exhibited at multiple sites across Lahore, Pakistan. Hoor Al Qasimi curated the work of over eighty artists and collectives under the theme of Between The Sun And The Moon, emphasizing participation from the Global South and with a stress on artists and works from Africa, Central Asia, West Asia and their diasporas. The multifaceted Biennale program included exhibited works, performances, participatory settings, publications ... More