Photographs and a video installation by two artists at the Kochi Muziris-Biennale have captured the life of common people in Pakistan and Myanmar.
While photographs and a video installation belonging to renowned photographer and filmmaker Madiha Aijaz, who died in 2019, bring out the many faces of life in Pakistan, the outstanding clicks of Min Ma Naing, a Myanmar native who sought refuge in America, reveal the living conditions of people in Myanmar.
The works of Madiha Aijaz on display include five series of photographs and one video installation with Karachi as the background. The presentation helps viewers experience the changes happening at various levels in the region, and the interaction with the subjects. The theme gets unravelled through the portrayal of public places such as railways, trading centres, places of worship, and public libraries, according to a communication.
In the video installation ‘These Silences Are All The Words’, the social environment around libraries as explained by the librarians are depicted. The shift from Urdu to English and its consequences are narrated in the work. The untimely death of Madiha following a cardiac arrest at the age of 38 shocked the art and cultural scene of not only Pakistan but of the international community.
Through the photograph series ‘Forces of Change’ and ‘But In My Dreams’ that complement one another, Min Ma Naing does a probe into how three decades of authoritarian rule affected the lives of people both within the country and those who were forced to flee. Through ‘Forces of Change’, those from different realms of life including business persons, social activists, and writers who were willing to fight for freedom are being presented. Those forced to flee and seek refuge in America appear in ‘But In My Dreams’. A return to the homeland remains a dream for them.
The works are being showcased at the Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi.
