My East is Your West
My East is Your West* was an official collateral event of the 56th International Art Exhibition – Venice Biennale, which united for the first time the historically conflicting nations of India and Pakistan in a collaborative exhibition by artists from both countries, namely Shilpa Gupta (Mumbai) and Rashid Rana (Lahore). My East is Your West was conceived by Feroz Gujral, Director and Founder of the Gujral Foundation.
One of the components of My East is Your West was an installation by Rashid Rana, entitled Shuhuud-o-shaahid-o-mashhuud (The Viewing, The Viewer and The Viewed). This work was a collaborative effort between Rashid Rana and the Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF), and has been celebrated as one of the highlights of the 56th Venice Biennale.
Shuhuud-o-shaahid-o-mashhuud (The Viewing, The Viewer and The Viewed)
Rashid Rana’s The Viewing, The Viewer and The Viewed was a multi-site video installation with live camera that created two simultaneous mirrored spaces, connecting audiences in Venice, Italy with audiences in Liberty Market, Lahore via a live feed. In doing so, it blurred the lines between the East and West, and between the audience and art. The audience was as much a part of the artwork as they were witness to it. The room built in Liberty Market, Lahore was made in collaboration with the Lahore Biennale Foundation.
Rashid Rana’s The Viewing, The Viewer and The Viewed was a multi-site video installation with live camera that created two simultaneous mirrored spaces, connecting audiences in Venice, Italy with audiences in Liberty Market, Lahore via a live feed. In doing so, it blurred the lines between the East and West, and between the audience and art. The audience was as much a part of the artwork as they were witness to it. The room built in Liberty Market, Lahore was made in collaboration with the Lahore Biennale Foundation.
This work was brought to the Pakistani public with the support of Habib Bank Limited, Pakistan’s largest bank, in a pioneering effort to enable arts in the country.
