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ARTICLE
Winter 2006
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VIEW:
THE GLOBAL ARTIST
by Saleem H. Ali
It is a refreshing mark of our times that artists
are being engaged at such forums of global significance rather
than being treated as a residual category of cultural significance. |
Every
year, the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation provides a generous
award of US$500,000 each “to talented individuals who
have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their
creative pursuits”. The MacArthur fellows are free to
use the funds as they please over five years without any ‘strings
attached’. Some might pay off a mortgage, while others
invest in a scholarship or finance a sabbatical. The recipients
range in their expertise from neuroscience to carpentry, and
are selected through a rather opaque but rigorous nomination
and review process conducted by the foundation under utmost
secrecy. Among the twenty-five recipients this year is an artist
of Pakistani lineage, Shahzia Sikander, who was recognised for
“merging the traditional South Asian art of miniature
painting with contemporary forms and styles to create visually
compelling, resonant works on multiple scales and in a dazzling
array of media”.
Traditionally, visual art has been a culturally reductive form
of human expression, whereby communities, tribes, cities and
countries have defined their identity. We have been quick to
label art as ‘eastern or western’, ‘indigenous
or foreign’, ‘Christian or Islamic’, and so
the list goes on as galleries define their areas of specialty.
However, artists such as Shahzia Sikander are transcending such
categorisations and resent being exoticised as simply Asian
or Pakistani.
In my recent interview with Shahzia, I made the initial error
of starting the conversation by reminiscing on Pakistani identity
and her training at the National College of Arts. The artist
immediately reprimanded me and asserted that her work was informed
by more than just Pakistani identity, but was rather emblematic
of a migrant’s story in America. I soon realised how important
it is for the contemporary artist to be recognised as an independent
agent of synthesis and positive change rather than being anchored
in some cultural niche.
Yet, Sikander has not forsaken her roots in a developing country
and plans to use her pedestal as an award-winning artist to
make a palpable difference in Pakistan and beyond. She is among
the very few artists selected by the World Economic Forum to
be part of the Young Global Leaders programme, which aims “to
develop innovative global strategies that can be translated
into decisions and actions necessary to be taken today”.
It is a refreshing mark of our times that artists are being
engaged at such forums of global significance rather than being
treated as a residual category of cultural significance. Artists
are a reservoir of creativity for any society and while their
products might not have physical utility and do ‘need-based’
service, they inspire us in ways that enrich the lives of even
the most indigent. Art, in all its forms from paintings to drama
to music, is also a universal means of expression and a strategy
for coping with distressing circumstances in all cultures. Some
of the most exquisite street art has been produced in the most
impoverished slums of New York as a cathartic exercise. While
it is tempting to trivialise art in the context of poverty,
it is important to consider the economic ramifications of a
productive art sector in Pakistan.
Sikander is visiting Pakistan this winter to find ways by which
an art economy could help the victims of the Kashmir earthquake.
She has helped a small Afghan artist collective reap the fruits
of globalisation by selling village art to galleries worldwide
and hopes to do the same for some of the earthquake affected
areas.
However, there are many obstacles for an economy of art to flourish
in contemporary Pakistan. First our educational system neglects
to incorporate art into the curriculum, placing it instead in
the ‘elective’ category. Most consequentially, Islamic
scholars continue adherence to a minimalist interpretation of
scripture with regard to artistic expression whereby only iconoclastic
calligraphy and vegetal arabesque is permitted for the visual
artist and bizarre bodily sounds are all that are permitted
for the musician. Islamic art has a rich and varied tradition
and historically bridged cultural divides between Hellenistic
and Oriental traditions, similar to Sikander’s own harmonising
work. However, in a world where ancient Buddhist statues are
being blown up as an act of faith by the extremists, convincing
contemporary Islamic theologians of this tradition is a tall
order.
President Musharraf recently made a worthy statement affirming
that art and Islam are not contradictory but complementary.
However, if we are to truly harness the value of art in a global
world, there will be need to effect a cultural shift to appreciate
artistic expression as a tool of creative economic renewal.
At time the artists would take up challenging topics and test
our tolerance but such matters must be handled with care. A
culture of mutual respect is a responsibility for the artist
just as much as it is for the critic. Institutions such as the
National College of Arts that have incubated artists such as
Sikander deserve our support. Even when the artists leave Pakistan
and their work blossoms and takes on its unique global form,
their resonance is felt in their ethnic homeland and provides
inspiration to other creative minds who defy conventional career
trajectories.
Dr. Saleem H. Ali is associate professor of environmental
planning and conflict resolution at the University of Vermont
and a senior fellow at the United Nations mandated University
for Peace. He can be reached at saleem@alum.mit.edu |
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