Written by: Nahal Sheikh
Posted on: January 05, 2021 | 
| 中文
Song in a Teacup by Nabeel Anwar
Across the globe we have seen a growing trend towards art and culture going digital. This does not simply mean creating art through technological or digital means, but showcasing it online in simple and interactive forms. Especially in the past year, we have all been confined to the digital space to seek entertainment or to showcase artistic work. Sometimes it has been a blessing to reach out to so many people at once, and at other times it has been a hindrance.
An initiative to look forward to that has recently been developed is the Lahore Digital Arts Festival (LDF). Launching in March 2021, this online festival bypasses traditional understandings of art curation and presentation. It aims to bring together a community of artists and audiences who together can explore the many intersections of art, technology and everything in-between. In this interview with LDF’s Founding Curator, Najam-Ul Assar, we explore the festival’s innumerable themes, activities and purpose.
Najam-Ul-Assar
The idea for LDF was not a sudden realization, but a buildup courtesy of many initiatives related to art and technology I was part of in Pakistan. If you ask me one specific instance, what really initiated the idea was the event series that I helped Omar Gilani organize, called ‘Pakistan+: A Journey Through the Future’. I always had a passion for curating digital [and] experimental art in non-traditional spaces, so curating Omar’s exhibition in a co-working space in Peshawar was just the start of this journey.
As Assar explained the origins of LDF, it was important to understand this festival’s primary aim in Pakistan: trying to create a constructive dialogue around what it means to merge art and technology, the accessibility of art and creativity, and its experimental expression. This dialogue’s juxtaposition with Pakistan’s art scene will help reveal the presence of digital arts in the country, that otherwise have not received the attention they deserve. For instance, traditional art galleries have yet to welcome such art forms and technological innovations on a wide scale. LDF, in this context, is here to change that by providing an online space for artists and works who deserve recognition.
Featured Work Rangeen Pakistan
I am a big believer in the power of the Internet and Information Technologies, mainly because they have democratized access to content. The festival we are putting together is hosted on the Internet, and audiences from all over the world will be able to explore the works of artists. So, we do feel that digitalisation of the festival will provide safe [COVID-19 free] experience for the audiences to engage in a meaningful dialogue with people from all over the world.
The first edition of LDF follows a peculiar theme: ‘Post Reality’. It reflects on the use of digital spaces and its impact on our daily lives. The way we communicate, comprehend each other and the world around us, how we create memories - has changed our perception of reality. This concept has become malleable and undefined in a world of digital media, where anything and everything can be edited or manipulated by users.
Featured Artist Herman Rahman
For someone who does not understand the term ‘Post Reality’, can you explain this concept and tell us why it was chosen as the theme for LDF’s first edition?
We would have chosen a different theme, provided we were not living in a COVID-19 world. I think “POST-Reality” is inspired from the post-truth Era. In the world of social media, the ones with the most Retweets or a verified profile, is considered as the custodian of the truth. We want to ask the artists and audiences about the subjective nature of reality. “POST-Reality” will explore the ideas that make us believe in what is right or wrong. And as we mentioned in the concept note of the festival, the theme refers to the fact that our old understanding of reality is no longer applicable.
For such a radical theme, LDF makes it a point to physically organize the event from Lahore, Pakistan, a historical hub for all things arts and culture.
I was not born or raised in Lahore, but spent a significant portion of my life there and fell in love with the city as a cultural hub. I see cities not just as urban spaces but also places for cultural activity, so I wanted to connect Lahore with the rest of the digital arts world. There is an increasing community interest in art and technology in Lahore, which feeds into our goal to get people interested in digital art.
Featured Artist Jean Baptiste Clais
This is the best part about the festival. We should be connecting with stakeholders all over the world. LDF aims to not only celebrate the local artists, but also connect them with other international artists for meaningful collaborations in the future.
We have more than 50 artists confirmed from 20 countries for our first edition, and we are super proud to see how all the works are coming together. I would not name specific artists, but I would say that the works we have received encompass a wide range of mediums, such as Data Art, AI, Sound, Pixel, animations, films and technologies such as Unity, Github, Simmer, Mozilla Hub and more. We will be releasing a list of all the artists on the 29th of January 2021.
So far, the pre-launch experience has been brilliant for Assar, with many submissions. People have been attracted to LDF’s purpose of bringing about a level of seriousness in the art industry for art-tech works. LDF is looking forward to working closely with partners such as Coworking Space, universities, cafes and publication houses, to ensure it sets a precedent to help others organize Digital Arts Festivals in other cities across Pakistan.
Website: https://lahoredigitalfestival.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lahoredigitalfestival/
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