Lahore: On February 4, 2024, Sitara-e-Imtiaz recipient Imran Qureshi will open “The Garden,” a new solo exhibition combining painting, video, miniature painting, sculpture, and installation, at Nasir Bagh in Lahore in conjunction with the Parks and Horticulture Authority.
Nasir Bagh is a historic landmark in pre-partition Lahore that was later renamed after Egypt’s second President, Jamal Abdul Nasir. This park has hosted some of the country’s most significant sociopolitical events, leaving an everlasting stamp on Pakistani history. Recognizing its symbolic significance, the PHA recently renovated the park, which now includes a state-of-the-art public gallery called The Barracks, named after the actual barracks located in the space and harking back to the park’s colonial history. This new gallery will premiere.
Imran Qureshi’s “The Garden” aims to explore the relationship between various aspects of the landmark’s history by transforming the underground bunkers at Nasir Bagh into an immersive space using an interdisciplinary approach that investigates the relationship between ecology, beauty, and violence.
“I intended to leverage the unexpected presence of the barracks in the garden to create unexpected associations with the environment and history; with imagery that seeps into the underground area like water seeping in from above. As a result, as the spectator enters, a torrent of imagery floods and transforms the area,” remarked Imran Qureshi.
According to Mr. Tahir Wattoo, Director General of the Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA), “Imran Qureshi’s ‘The Garden’ at The Barracks is art in the city’s heart.”
Imran Qureshi commented on the park renovation and the addition of a gallery, saying, “The goal is to change the way people think about the park.” What excites me the most is that people will have this one-of-a-kind contemporary gallery right in the heart of the city. Interventions like these have the potential to usher in a new era of public art in Pakistan.
The Garden exhibition will open for viewing on February 4th, 2024 at 4 p.m., and will remain on display until the summer of 2024.
