There is a bond which is being forged between India and Pakistan, and it is purer than politics or war: It is the bond of Art. AND it is happening at the 56th Venice Biennale.
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
– Aristotle
There are long standing talks of the failing ties between India and Pakistan, but one collaboration proves that this failure is an imaginary one. When Feroze Gujral realized that the representation of both India and Pakistan at the prestigious Venice Biennale is bordering on zilch, she took it into her hands to curate their identity internationally herself. She is a former model, businesswoman, philanthropist, but most importantly is also an art enthusiast.
Gujral understands the richness of the art cultures of both India and Pakistan, and the unbelievable exquisiteness of a combination of the two.
Photo Credits: E-flux
Her vision resulted in a fantastic alliance: ‘My East Is Your West’. The artists selected for the unique, collaborative show being presented at the 56th Venice Biennale are the exceptionally talented Shilpa Gupta and the inspirational Rashid Rana.
Located in the 17th-century Palazzo Benzon on the Grand Canal, this show has been curated by Natasha Ginwala who is a Curatorial Advisor and Public Programmes curator for The Gujral Foundation‘s project. The purity of such a collaborative stance is depicted best through the breathtaking art pieces. It is, if nothing else, a revolutionary move.