By Mizna Zulfiqar
Conceived and initiated by renowned Argentinian artist, Tomas Saraceno in 2007, ‘Museo Aero Solar’ was realized in order to engage local communities and foster a sense of collective action and environmental responsibility alongside raising awareness about plastic pollution and its detrimental effects on the environment.
Joining an international aero solar community, the 81st iteration of this crowd sourced, community action project was realized through a collaboration between the Department of Fine Arts, Kinnaird College for Women (KCW), Lahore and Lahore Biennale Foundation, with support from the Aerocene Foundation.
Kinnaird, the oldest women’s college of Pakistan with a legacy of 111 years of education takes its name from Lady Mary Kinnaird who belonged to a titled family of Scotland, politically involved with India during the British period. Education of women was a significant agenda for the family; therefore, they raised financial support, even donating personal funds and thus the college was established in 1913. The college shifted to its present twenty-acre campus location in 1938 and is now home to more than 5000 girls who study at the college. Kinnaird continues to be ranked as the premier institute of Pakistan for education of women, where over 2000 students are enrolled every year.
For this multilayered project that straddles the ethos of care, awareness, community action and art; professors, students, staff and alumni of the community from KCW reclaimed thousands of existing plastic bags from their domestic spaces to reuse this notorious material to construct the airy, inflatable and interactive installation which was exhibited as part of Lahore Biennale 03 from 5th Oct – 8th Nov, 2024 at Bradlaugh Hall, Ratigan Road, Lahore.
Bradlaugh Hall, a historic hall constructed in the late 19th century was named after Charles Bradlaugh, a British member of parliament during the late Victorian era, in recognition for his advocacy for social justice and affinity towards India.
Over the ensuing decades, the hall served as a venue for several advocates for the Indian subcontinent, hosting meetings of the Indian National Congress during the Indian Independence Movement.
Over the years the hall has been repurposed several times and is currently being restored to preserve its legacy. The renovation work is actively continuing during the Biennale.
Visitors to the ‘Museo Aero Solar’ installation at Bradlaugh Hall were invited to appropriate the Museo by leaving their mark through drawings and writings on its surface.
This project that propelled KCW to converge as a community was initiated, realized and installed for display within a mere time span of three weeks. By collecting plastic waste and turning it into a canvas for art making and community building, Museo Aero Solar serves as a testament to the power of communication, communal problem solving and teamwork, the foundation stones of collective action. It is a daring proposition to unite plastic bags and human lives alike.
Acknowledgements:
Qudsia Rahim | Director, Lahore Biennale Foundation
John Tain | LB03 Curator
Joaquin Ezcurra | ‘Museo Aero Solar’ consultant
Dr. Irum Anjum | Principal, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore
Project Team:
Project Incharge | Mizna Zulfiqar
Core Team | Amra Khan | Kiran Saeed | Maha Binte Abid | Rebecca Arfan | Sana Shafiq | Yumna
Documentation and Social Media Team | Amra Khan | Huda Saeed | Maha Binte Abid
Project Installation Support | Asghar Frances | Ishtiaq Masih
Display Site Project Management Team | Huda Saeed | Tabi Butt
Cornerstone Student Volunteers:
Aida Nasir | Afifa Shahzad Mir | Bareezey Shahzad Mir | Fajal Noor | Ifrah Siddique | Maryum Sandhu | Aleena Usman | Aqsa Habib | Hamna Malik | Joyce Gill | Manahil Fatima | Manochehar Rizwan | Noor Fatima | Rukha Anees | Shiza Ali Noor | Zainab Lashari | Amna Ehsan | Amna Ghafoor | Bakhtawar Bilal | Maham Shakeel | Quratulain Fatima | Raabel Mahboob | Samia Saleem | Yumna Rizwan | Alishba Khan | Areeba Ayaz | Fizza Naeem | Fizza Zubair | Harum Hayat | Muskan Farooq |Rubysha Ali | Shanzay Zainab | Syeda Ume Abiha Gillani | Aatika Khalid | Aina Asif
Aiza Imran | Aleeshba Azeem | Alishba Noreen | Aliza Ahtisham | Aliza Waseem | Amna Arshad | Aniqa Zahra | Bisma Jannat | Dania Aftab | Dania Tahir | Easha | Emaan Ehsa| Emaan Fatima | Fatima Noor Zaidi | Fatima Waheed | Ghulam Fatima | Hijab Fatima Chishti | Hizza | Husna Shakir | Huzaima | Isma Haider | Javeria Khan | Javeria Mehmood | Laiba Sanaullah | Maemonah Khatoon | Mahnoor Kamran | Mahnoor Shehzad | Mahueen | Mahyal | Maida | Maryam Abbas | Maryam Ishtiaq | Minahil Azeem | Minahil Kashif | Minahil Nadeem | Mishal Aftab
Mishqat | Mubashra | Musfira | Myra Shahzad | Noor Fatima | Noor-ul-Huda | Raina | Sabahat | Sanabil Aamer Malik | Sara Aftab | Sarooshay Iqbal | Shehzeen Afzaal | Shiza Naveed | Sumaira Shahid | Tamjeed Ashraf | Tayyaba Saleem | Tehreem Fatima | Tooba Akhlaq | Tooba Nasir | Ushna Amjad | Wajeeha Raza | Warda Irfan | Wisha Fatima | Zahra Nadeem | Zainab | Zainab Fatima | Zainab Fatima | Zoha Jamil | Amna Noor | Fajar Kashif | Hafsa Mehmood | Isra Abdul Rahim | Maimona | Roshia Najam | Sidra Hameed | Tazeen Burney | Tehreem Akram | Warda Fajar Ahmad | Noor Fatima
