I’m not quite sure what to expect as I make my way past the balustrade and through the courtyard of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) to Zarmeene Shah’s office. I recall first reading her name in the newspaper in 2017, when she was the curator-at-large for the first iteration of the Karachi Biennale (KB17) — which I would contend still remains unsurpassed by the subsequent biennales in the city, primarily due to the sheer novelty of that original experience.Zarmeene is busy preparing a cup of coffee for herself when I’m led into her workspace, and she offers to make one for me as well. I decline since I don’t drink much caffeine, but considering the enormity of the task Zarmeene has taken on, I have a feeling that this month she will consume a lot more.
Zarmeene is one of the three curators of the historic “Manzar: Art and Architecture from Pakistan — 1940s to Today” exhibition, which will take place in November at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) in Doha. This exhibition, which is being organized by the future Art Mill Museum and presented in association with the NMoQ, will feature more than 200 pieces in various media, showcasing Pakistan’s artistic.
