Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Art in Embassies Couldn't Bridge Pakistani-American Differences















I have all the regard in the world for the professional curators in the Art in Embassies (AIE) office. They make a serious contribution to public diplomacy by, among other things, placing permanent exhibits at each of our new Fortress Embassies - of which there are 111 and counting as of this month - and, God knows, those places can use some cultural uplift.

Frankly, though, I don't think a sculpture of an albino camel gazing at a gigantic needle is the artwork we need at U.S. Embassy Islamabad. I mean, a camel? Why put out that bait for cheap jokes?

Well, it turns out that AIE didn't want the camel at first, either.

Virginia Shore, Chief Curator of AIE, was interviewed about her job by LA Contemporary and she had this to say about the Islamabad embassy project:
[Question] In war torn or "hostile" countries, have there been instances where artists need to reflect on their right to create, to see, to think, to absorb, to interpret, and to translate?

[Answer] I believe the visual arts programming is relevant in every country but can be more critical in hot-bed countries where there is unrest, instability, or conflict exists between us. The art humanizes these buildings and becomes a common denominator. Sometimes these buildings look like bunkers. The objective of the art program is to highlight the similarities as well the differences between our countries. While the art may not ultimately change the outcome, it helps on a humanitarian and emotional level. Yes, at times it can be tricky for artists from the host countries at times to work with AIE.

Recently, I have been working with Shahzia Sikander, an internationally acclaimed artist from Pakistan who is a miniaturist and video artist. Sikander lives in the US. The initial concept was for her and a classmate of hers from the National College of Arts in Lahore to collaborate on a site-specific commission for the new Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. However, the local politics in Pakistan came into play. Heated debates on her role in the history of contemporary art emerged, and a critic questioned her contributions as a leader of Pakistani art, as well as her allegiance. Ultimately, we decided that any type of collaboration would be fraught with issues and might be interpreted as having messages of propaganda. So, we are working on site-specific commissions for both artists versus a collaboration.

Well, well, well. So the politics of Pakistan made it impossible for the State Department to commission a noted Pakistani-American artist to produce a representational artwork for our embassy there. Her "allegiance" - meaning, presumably, her allegiance to Pakistan - was questioned by Pakistani critics, and her collaboration with a local artist might have been seen as propagandistic. And so, we went with the camel instead.

Too bad. If the objective of the Art in Embassies program is to "highlight the similarities as well the differences between our countries," what better way to do that than with a Pakistani-American collaboration? The camel has nothing to contribute to that objective.


25 comments:

James said...

"I believe the visual arts programming is relevant in every country but can be more critical in hot-bed countries where there is unrest, instability, or conflict exists between us." So true, but so easily misunderstood. A great example would be the Christo "Atlantikwall Project" of 1942-1944. Though daring in scope it was irreparably damaged by 600,000+ art critics on June 6, 1944. Today only sad remnants of this great humanistic exist in sadly decaying condition.

Anonymous said...

You are right TSB. One of my first thoughts on that camel... right after the snicker was would it look better with a jockey and where would she sit? Good post! gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: I just heard on tv that they are going to use subs to look for the plane. No details but I'm pretty sure they read about it here first!
gwb

TSB said...

James: The Atlantic Wall project? That's a great example of public art! Maybe June 6 was an interactive cross-cultural exchange carried out in the medium of performance art.

James said...

It was a last burst of creativity of remnants of the Bauhaus movement.
Heh, I believe you quite right about June 6. It is said to have been one of the most kinetic performance art displays ever.

TSB said...

Bauhaus, yes. Form follows function!

Anonymous said...

Cuban social network created by the U.S. government: That was a looong
article TSB! I'm surprised anyone at
USAID thought that would work in Cuba. Anyone would have to be nuts to take a 'Bolivar attitude' in Cuba. It just shows there is too much money sloshing around the beltway. gwb

Anonymous said...

It is not correct that Shahzia Sikander's work won't be included in the new embassy collection. She is at present working on a site-specific commission for a mural, to be installed on the embassy wall in Islamabad. The camel is only one of the many pieces by American, Pakistani and Pakistani-American artists that will make up the collection.

TSB said...

Anon.,

Thanks for your comment. I had the wrong impression from the interview with Ms. Shore.

Do permanent embassy exhibitions have major artworks, or key pieces, as well as others? It seemed to me that 'Camel and Needle' was to be the major exhibit in Islamabad.

Anonymous said...

TSB: Ever since I discovered through the skeptical bureaucrat that we had gone post-constitutional I've been thinking that nobody wants to do anything about it. Turns out that's not true! Turns out 34 states have decided it's time! This could be fun! gwb

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-03/martin-armstrong-warns-2016-constitutional-convention

Anonymous said...

TSB: Check your wallet! gwb

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/04/04/6-Billion-Goes-Missing-State-Department

TSB said...

GWB: It isn't the six billion that's missing (the contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan have that), it's the contract management files that have gone astray.

The old British TV series "Dear Minister" explained this very well. Quoting from memory: "If we say a matter is under review, that means we've lost the file. If we say it's under active review, that means we've looking for it."

I trust this matter is under active review.

Anonymous said...

TSB: Thanks for the bureaucratese translation! I was thinking perhaps you had accidentally pocketed a cheque intended for someone else but now I realize that was from an old murder mystery.gwb

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+cheap+detective&go=&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=the+cheap+detective&sc=0-13&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=1DBE49B4364BA743E6D81DBE49B4364BA743E6D8

TSB said...

No, I don't get to keep any of the checks that pile up around here.

The Cheap Detective? That was classic. And it had Ann Margret in it ... yeah ... she was the Kitten With a Whip fifty years ago ... that lingerie stuff they wore back then ... um ... Ann Margret ...... I have totally lost my train of thought.

James said...

TSB,GWB:
The "Cheap Detective" and Sir Humphreys Appleby in the same post, the cultural range is astounding.

Anonymous said...

James: This is pretty good too! It' Hillary explaining her achievements as Secy of State! She talks about us stimulating our economy but I think what she is trying to say is that her job was to cover up the fact that Obama didn't have a foreign policy. gwb

http://capitolcityproject.com/hillary-struggles-list-accomplishments-secretary-state-tenure/

Anonymous said...

TSB; James: These old hedgemons sure
squeal when they are dying. So the lawyers are making our foreign policy again? How can we compete if we can't read their mail?? gwb

http://rt.com/news/us-europe-nsa-snowden-549/

James said...

GWB: Good links both. Like a large dying beast thrashing about they could still hurt you before the end.

Anonymous said...

TSB: http://www.juancole.com/2014/04/department-official-declassifying.html

Is it just me or was it really Snowden that caused all these Senators and even the Presidente to want to make the $40 million dollar torture report public? It's still raining like crazy here but it looks like the sun is starting to shine a bit in DC! gwb

Anonymous said...

Jimmy Carter: "It would be inappropriate" for U.S. to deny visa to Iranian UN ambo-designate
TSB: I love Jimmie Carter but he is always fudging. Now that almost everyone knows we we put the Shah in there and the Iranians had a right to revolt Carter is ready to let bygones be bygones. Back then he wasted a Presidency tilting to a CIA windmill.He would turn Catholic if the pope allowed women priests! gwb

TSB said...

GWB: I don't think any of Snowden's stuff effected the current Senate-vs-CIA flap. The news about black sites, rendition, etc., has been declassified starting with the 9/11 Commission Report. The Bush and Obama administrations released competing versions of how effective or not extraordinary interrogation techniques have been. You can pick your sources for proof either way. Personally, I think the CIA was justified in hurting Kalid Sheik Mohammad's feelings by water boarding him.

The blow-up now is over accusations that Senate staffers abused their privileges with CIA computer systems. It looks like the Senate will declassify an internal CIA report, but only after the CIA does a classification review.

James said...

There is a CIA-Senate war going on so....."It looks like the Senate will declassify an internal CIA report, but only after the CIA does a classification review." priceless!

Anonymous said...

http://news.yahoo.com/court-overturns-eu-law-keeping-private-data-095212089.html;_ylt=AwrTWfwRIkRTVUcAYETQtDMD

TSB: Speaking of people you never can get rid of. Look who was representing us as Europe struck down anti-privacy law. gwb

TSB said...

GWB: Good for Janet, she found work after leaving government!

Did you see that European Court of Justice building? Is it just me, or does that place look like it should belong to NSA?

Anonymous said...

TSB: That building does give me the midieval shivers. After doing such a great job securing the border I expected JN to take a VP job at one of the big drug laundering banks. Instead she looks like she's savoring becoming HRC'S 'Kitty with a Whip'. gwb