ArtNow

13/06/2026

Reposted via IVS GALLERY

Karachi Cartographies: Seeing the City Through Art and Archives, presented by The Furqaan Ahmed Collection.

12/06/2026

June Issue

Karachi Cartographies

InFocus Essay | The Intellectual Imperative of Cultural and Creative Cartography

By Haroon Shuaib

"To trace the identity of a people is to engage in an act of historical divination, a process that transcends the mere linear recording of civilizational continuity or the shifting configurations of national borders. True lineage resides within a deeper, more elusive geography: the landscape of the collective soul. Cultural and creative cartography of a people emerges not as the literal sketching of the topography of the land they inhibit, but as the scholarly and philosophical practice of mapping the invisible currents of human expression, belief, ritual, and aesthetic evolution.It is a methodology that charts how a society understands its place in the cosmos, translating memory into material expression.

For Pakistan, a land that serves as both a cradle of ancient antiquities and a modern laboratory of post-colonial identity, this cartography has taken the critical position of an existential imperative. Without the deliberate documentation of the aesthetic impulses that have washed over this land, society risks a profound collective amnesia, forgetting that its contemporary realities are anchored in millennia of creative contemplation.Culture and art exist in an eternal, symbiotic feedback loop, continuously generating the scaffold upon which society builds itself. Culture can be understood as the foundational soil, the shared reservoir of values, anxieties, spiritual yearnings, and historical traumas. Art is the flora that blossoms from this soil, translating abstract collective undercurrents into tangible iconography, verse, and architectural space. Yet, this dynamic is cyclical."



https://www.artnowpakistan.com/the-intellectual-imperative-of-cultural-and-creative-cartography/

12/06/2026

June issue

Karachi Cartographies

Editor's View | Archiving Against Amnesia

By Quddus Mirza

"Dr Furqan Ahmed’s fascination with collecting moments of the past, our shared, private, and public moments is unique and exciting. His vast body of collection includes artworks, printed words, historic photographs, a material to reconstruct the memory archive is an effort to remind, and record, and preserve the identity of a nation, which is spreading it like discarded leaves of autumn trees, and fleeting butterflies from a climatic crisis.

The Russian-American writer Vladimir Nabokov is known for his habit of gathering butterflies. A passion that may not have any apparent link to his work as an author. People of different ages, regions, professions have built habits of collecting; probably with one of the most common and mundane pastimes of accumulating coins and postal stamps. Some even like to own bottle caps, disused dress buttons, train tickets, boarding cards, etc."

Qm Nca

Dr Furqan Ahmed’s fascination with collecting moments of the past, our shared, private, and public moments is unique and exciting. His vast body of collection includes artworks, printed words, historic photographs, a material to reconstruct the memory archive is an effort to remind, and record, an...

11/06/2026

June 2026 issue

Karachi Cartographies

"This month ArtNow Pakistan brings to you an issue dedicated to a remarkable project that celebrates memory, history, and the evolving identity of Karachi.

You will be pleased to see Karachi’s Cartography, an ambitious exhibition by Dr. Furqan Ahmed, whose lifelong commitment to collecting, preserving, and researching the city’s cultural history has resulted in artistic work that is both deeply personal and profoundly significant.

A doctor by profession, Dr. Furqan has spent decades gathering rare maps, photographs, letters, documents, artworks, authored books, and historical material that collectively narrate Karachi’s memories history and stories."

Please logon to www.artnowpakistan.com to read the complete editorial.

11/06/2026

IVS UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN

IVS offers HEC-recognized Bachelors degrees in:

Architecture (5-year)
Interior Design (4-year)
Communication Design (4-year)
Textile Design (4-year)
Fashion Design (4-year
Fine Art (4-year)

Apply online through: https://admissions.indusvalley.edu.pk

For queries, email [email protected] or WhatsApp
+92-310-111-1487

For more information, visit www.indusvalley.edu.pk

*Undergrad admissions at IVS only open once a year. Classes for new students begin in January.

10/06/2026

June Issue 2026

Karachi Cartographies

This month, ArtNow Pakistan brings you a special issue dedicated to a remarkable project that celebrates memory, history, and the evolving identity of Karachi.

We are pleased to present Karachi Cartographies, an ambitious exhibition by Dr. Furqan Ahmed. ArtNow Pakistan exclusively covers the exhibition and brings readers an in-depth interview with Dr. Ahmed, in which he discusses the conception, research, and significance of this extraordinary project.

The issue also features Quddus Mirza's editorial, insightful essays, exhibition reviews, and international art news, offering a comprehensive perspective on contemporary artistic discourse.

Stay connected with ArtNow Pakistan for exclusive coverage, interviews, reviews, and stories from the art world.

Visit www.artnowpakistan.com to read the June 2026 issue.

03/06/2026

Mr and Mrs Furqan Ahmed with our Chief Editor Fawzia Naqvi at the opening of Karachi Cartographies.

The show opened on June 2, 2026 and will continue till June 20, 2026.

‘Karachi Cartographies - Seeing the City Through Art and Archives’ seeks to engage with the city using contemporary art and archival material ( documents , maps , advertisements , photographs , books ). All these materials serve to foreground multiple narratives about Karachi - how it once was , how it is now, and how it might yet become - including conversations about minorities , Manora , the securitization of the city , climate change , and more. The project offers unique perspectives into the city of Karachi and views contemporary art as an expanded field and also as an investigative tool. Maps , mapping , and map making are a central theme of the project.

This is a project of the Furqaan Ahmed Collection and includes a 200 - page book ( with essays by Marvi Mazhar and Zarmeene Shah; designed by Kiran Ahmad ) and an exhibition spread over two gallery spaces ( Canvas and Koel ). Additional programming includes a commissioned children’s book by Sophia Balagamwala , a pop - up Karachi library at Darham/Marham , and a screening of new media works at the IVSAA gallery.

The exhibition remains open daily until Saturday June 20th 2026 , from 11 am - 7 pm ( closed Sundays ).

*The exhibition is for viewing purposes only.*
*The exhibits are not for sale.*

Via

naqvi

02/06/2026

Happening now at CanvasGallery Karachi and Koel Gallery

Do drop by to view the collection of Dr Furqan Ahmed.

02/06/2026

A significant cultural moment unfolds today as Dr. Furqan Ahmed opens two exhibitions simultaneously at Koel and Canvas Gallery, offering audiences a rare opportunity to engage with his extensive art collection and decades-long engagement with the visual arts.

Bringing together works that reflect the histories, narratives, and evolving trajectories of Pakistani art, the exhibitions provide insight into Dr. Ahmed's role not only as a collector but also as a researcher, writer, and advocate for the preservation of artistic heritage.

ArtNow Pakistan will soon be sharing an exclusive interview with Dr. Furqan Ahmed, conducted by our Chief Editor Fawzia Naqvi, exploring the ideas behind the exhibitions, his journey as a collector, and the launch of his latest publication.

Stay tuned for this special conversation.