Gilgit Hunza Skardu

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Gilgit Hunza Skardu

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Culture Talk Raw nature as art

http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php ... ype=source

March 05 2005


The third trip for artists to remote areas arranged by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) was completed a few months ago. Given the name of ‘Retreat,’ this is a programme under which artists selected from all parts of Pakistan travel together as a group, imbibe the beauties of nature and then transfer the images formed in their minds on canvas.

Led by Musarrat Naheed Imam, curator of the National Art Gallery, the group of eight men and women visited the lesser known but decidedly the most beautiful sites in the Northern Areas for seven days in August. They were Tayyaba Ahmed and Abbas Ali from the NWFP, Rahma Iqbal, Imran Shah and Kashan Ahmed Habib from the federal capital. In a way, they are all associated with education. No one was able to come from Balochistan, being busy in academic activity.

The two earlier ‘Retreats’ involved trips to Skardu and Chitral. The outcome of these two ‘Retreats’ was compiled as an exhibition in Islamabad and later displayed in Balochistan. Recently, it was also displayed in Skardu to coincide with the golden jubilee celebrations of the conquest of K-2, the world’s second highest mountain peak.

The latest ‘Retreat’ was scheduled for Gilgit, Hunza and the Phundur lake. The group left Islamabad by road on August 16, stayed overnight at Bisham where the Karakoram Highway starts. The route followed Abbottabad, Mansehra, the Chhattar plains, Pattan, Dasu and Chilas, and everyone was captivated by its varying and ever-changing beauty. They reached Gilgit at night and stayed in the PTDC motel there, with everyone busy with their cameras on the way. Of course the job of transferring the images on to canvas came later.

At Gilgit, the group met the local intellectuals and poets and writers and exchanged views of common interest. At Hunza, they made brief stopovers in the valleys of Karimabad and Nagar and enjoyed the breath-taking view of Rakaposhi peak. One of the splendid sights near Karimabad is the ancient Baltit Fort which has been repaired and restored by the Aga Khan Foundation and now serves as a museum for the area. The fort is a most intriguing sight because of its novel architecture and the great work that has been done to restore it to its original grandeur, Karimabad itself, the seat of the Amir of Hunza, is full of fruit orchards, and the group ate delicious grapes, apples, apricots and pears to their hearts’ content.

By common consent the highlight of the beauties of nature was the Phundur Lake which was the group’s next stop. The trip to the lake over a not-so-good road was made comfortable by courtesy of the Frontier Works Organisation, and the artists had the rare experience of viewing this beautiful sight at sunrise and sunset and in moonlight. Everyone thought the experience would remain unforgettable in their memories. They managed to view the ancient Buddhist rock-writings that are scattered all over the area, and they were all busy with their cameras and collecting images for painting and sculpture back home.

It was a wonderful trip and unprecedented in the world of art in Pakistan. They very idea, to spend a week among the ravishing scenes of nature and mountains and lakes, was highly appreciated by the group which consisted of painters, sculptors and photographers, and it was a reluctant party that returned to Islamabad when the programme was over. And of course they were extremely grateful to PNCA for arranging the trip.

The ‘Retreat’ has now become an annual feature, and is keenly looked forward to by those who are lucky enough to join the group. PNCA has plans for the future that involve ‘Retreats’ to the desert of Sindh and the dry mountains of Balochistan which are expected to provide rich material for painting. The result of the latest ‘Retreat’ in the form of paintings and photographs is expected to form an exhibition for display in the provinces.

There are many programmes that PNCA undertakes for the promotion of culture in Islamabad and elsewhere, but the ‘Retreat’ is by far the brightest idea and the Council deserves compliments for making it so entertaining and successful.
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