Rethinking the role of Art
Since most of the world has gone into one form or the other of lockdown, the uncertain times have raked the global anxiety level. Everyone is looking for a way to deal with it and there is a common denominator there, something that I hope we remember when this is over.
The common denominator is the pursuit of arts to help us not loose our minds. We are taking solace in movies, binging and re-binging movies and season. The streaming platforms have extended their free subscriptions timelines, they have had to lower their resolution to accommodate the heavy global traffic.
We are using music to calm our nerves, not just in the form of listening to our own playlists but listening to live stream concerts that artists from Chris Martin to Ali Hamza and many others have been doing. Riz Ahmed’s live YouTube sessions are adding in-depth conversations to the online content, whose creation and consumption has gone through the roof.
Museums and art galleries have opened their virtual tours and people can’t get enough of them. Unfortunately, museums and galleries in Pakistan didn’t keep their pace with the digital world and therefore, have lost of sorts an opportunity to share their treasures with a global audience that is quite open to and interested in experiencing different things, now that freedom has been taken away.
Reading, people are looking for books to read, re-reading stuff that helps them escape this reality. There are writers doing live shows as doing readings. An example is the StayHomeStayReading project by Fatima Bhutto and Sanam Maher that brings you a daily dose of two to three authors from around the globe reading to you from their own work, or from their favourite work and recommending what to read.
Sneak peak from my reading of The Runaways #stayhomestayreading, watch the full video by clicking the link https://t.co/ykIQBw4M94 pic.twitter.com/aPaGCbkcqp
- fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) March 27, 2020
There are artists giving online art classes for kids and their parents and anyone else who is interested. Many people are digging out their art supplies that were once opted for as hobbies and then were lost to the fast-paced lives.
So, what’s the point of highlighting all of this? If it’s not yet clear is that we are seeking art forms and artists to deal with a crisis of our life time, to make sense of it and cling on to hope that this too shall pass.
In this time of isolation, lets reflect on how during “normal” times, we create an environment of isolation for those who don’t match to our “standards”, those who we don’t see fit to match the fast paced, hyper consumption mode that mark instant success for us.
Especially in our society, art and those pursuing it struggle to gain respect. Those in the entertainment get specific labels and are considered free game to hurl abuse from behind the security of a screen. Hurling a flawed sense of superior morality.
Next time when the itchy fingers are triggering to disrespect someone, remember who made isolation easier.
Originally published at https://pk.mashable.com on April 2, 2020.
