Araam: Breathing Space
27 June - 15 August 2009
Araam is a unique partnership project initiated by Shisha, the international agency for contemporary South Asian crafts and visual arts, in partnership with Mid Pennine Arts. The first of its kind, and building on cultural links between the North West of England and Pakistan, the project has started by highlighting the work of two exciting, contemporary UK artists, Halima Cassell and Zarah Hussain, through residencies in Pakistan and the UK and a unique exhibition at Mid Pennine Gallery in Burnley.
Araam has been developed to enable "breathing space" for the artists to research, develop new ideas and experiment with creative disciplines. To date both Cassell and Hussain have started to explore their Pakistani roots, issues around identity and pushing boundaries in their creative practices. Cassell and Hussain use very different artistic mediums, but both are inspired by their ancestral heritage, and Islamic influences through pattern and architecture resonate in their work.
As an ongoing project, Araam is being developed through a number of phases. An initial research and development visit to art schools, museums, galleries and cultural centres in the Pakistani cities of Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi was undertaken in 2009 by Halima Cassell, Shisha's Deputy Director Fareda Khan and Mid Pennine Arts Director Nick Hunt.
The three-city tour had several aims. As well as a brief introduction to Pakistan's vibrant traditional and contemporary visual art and craft scene, the visit galvanised existing links and formed partnerships between Shisha and two international art schools and a dynamic artist collective to establish the artist residency programme for Halima Cassell. In addition, the visit supported the Pakistani art schools' aims to connect students with international makers/artists. Mid Pennine Arts forged friendship links to support an exchange programme between Pakistan and local Pennine Lancashire schools.
Work in progress, inspired by the artists' creative explorations, featured in the Araam: Breathing Space exhibition at Mid Pennine Gallery between 27 June to 15 August 2009. The exhibition showcased the artists' developmental work and provided an opportunity to document the innovative, intercultural and experimental components of the Araam project.
Araam will continue into 2010, watch this space for more information!