Step into the cool,dark room at gallery Latitude 28,and you are greeted by a video of two middle-aged servants watching Superman on a television mounted to a wall. Whats so remarkable about watching a film? The two women are watching a movie though they cannot understand English. The work depicts how technology has crossed all barriers,including that of language, explains Bhavna Kakar,director of Latitude 28. Created by Aroosa Naz Rana,the video artwork documents the pervading influence of the technology and the new dialogues it is creating. Titled Crossing Over,it is a part of an exhibition of 13 Pakistani artists. About her work,Rana says,An abundance of still and moving images,cameras,television,computer monitors,iPads and laptops with their built in web cams are part of our lives. These visual experiences make us live in a mirage of many coexisting realities. The other 41 works deal with subjects such as commodification of art and globalisation. Quddus Mirzas work,for instance,comprises two picture frames,with Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes pasted on them a clear comment on the art market. Another video installation,titled Echo,by Md Ali Talpur shows a man winking with one eye at a time,without moving any other facial muscles. Yet another artist,Sajjad Ahmed,has created a giant image of an airplane in his work Science Philosophy Religion II. Globalisation is the new religion and its images are its scriptures, states Ahmed. In the last two decades,art from Pakistan has adopted an interesting route. From traditional works to contemporary influences,Pakistani art covers a broad and diverse spectrum, says curator Ambereen Karamat. The exhibition is on display till March 2 Aleesha Matharu and Pallavi Chattopadhyay Matharu is an EXIMS student
