Second Lahore Biennale features John Akomfrah, Haroon Mirza and Wael Shawky

1 February 2020

The second edition of the Lahore Biennale is now open to the public at various cultural and heritage sites throughout the city of Lahore, Pakistan. Amongst over 70 artists, John Akomfrah, Haroon Mirza and Wael Shawky are presenting works at the Biennale entitled 'between the sun and the moon', which aims to explore how we might reflect on our place within the cosmos today, at a conjuncture of planetary climate crisis and polarities between societies.

John Akomfrah presents two early works made during his time as part of the Black Audio Film Collective, Expeditions I - Signs of Empire (1983) and Expeditions II - Images of Nationality (1984). As part of the opening ceremony on 26 January, Haroon Mirza premiered a new performance featuring English National Opera's Sarah-Jane Lewis and local Lahore musicians. Wael Shawky's Cabaret Crusades: Asphalt Cityscape draws on the site-specific constructions presented in his 2019 exhibition at Lisson Gallery in New York, and is installed throughout the walkways at the Lahore Fort Summer Palace.

The 2020 Lahore Biennale runs until 29 February.

Image: Installation view of Wael Shawky, Cabaret Crusades: Asphalt Cityscape at the second Lahore Biennale