AAN Foundation provides support for Shahzia Sikander's exhibition 'Havah.......to breathe, air life' in Madison Square Park, New York City.

“Havah……to breathe, air, life”

Havah…explores the complexities of women’s relationships to law and justice. The project will be on view in Madison Square Park and on the rooftop of the Appellate Division Courthouse across the street. Shahzia’s inspiring exhibition in the park will include a monumental sculpture of a female figure, a video animation, and an augmented reality component. A second sculpture will be installed on the courthouse rooftop, becoming the first female figure to take a stand amongst a lineup of nine robed male lawgivers. Shahzia’s work on the 2017 Capital Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Martyrs galvanized her intense investigation of whose figure occupies our public spaces. Havah…is a bold and important response.

This project is a co-commission of Madison Square Park Conservancy and Public Art Houston. The commission will open on the 17th of January!

The AAN Foundation & Shahzia Sikander’s practice: The AAN Foundation has been supporting Shahzia Sikander’s practice for almost two decades. Our commitment to this pioneer of Indo-Persian Painting will continue as Sikander keeps breaking new ground in her art making and keep’s challenging norms of both narrative and form. The AAN Foundation, supported by the AAN Collection, is the custodian of one of the largest collections of Sikander’s work, including both paintings and animations including the seminal ‘Parallax’. In 2008, it supported her public art exhibition ‘Authority as Approximation’ at Para Site Art Space in Hong Kong. In 2016 the AAN Foundation was the Lead Sponsor for Sikander’s monumental exhibition ‘Apparatus of Power’ which exhibited over sixty three works of art including paintings and video installations at The Asia Society Museum and The Maritime Museum in Hong Kong. The AAN Foundation also provided support for the viewing of Parallax, her seminal three-channel video installation at the Lahore Biennale in 2018 as well as being the Central Sponsors for the inaugural Lahore Biennale.

Amna Naqvi - Guest Lecturer at The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Amna Naqvi, Co-Founder of AAN Foundation was invited as a Guest Speaker at the Department of Art History at The University of Hong Kong(HKU) to talk about Pakistani art both in its historic and contemporary forms. The lecture focused on the classical, modern and contemporary artworks in the AAN Collection as well as the work of the AAN Foundation and AAN Ideas Lab. She discussed the works of over forty artists. 

AAN Ideas LAB - An Initiative of the AAN Foundation launches IQXIU - A Collaboration between Islamabad United and artist Imran Qureshi.

The Most Successful PSL Franchise Islamabad United, proudly go one step ahead this season! Presenting #IQxIU - World's first ever Cricket x Art collaboration with globally celebrated artist Imran Qureshi.

The artistic output of the project will be seen across the team’s official kit, and much more!

Amna Naqvi - Co Founder of AAN Foundation Contributes a Comprehensive Essay for the Publication 'I Am And I Am Not'

The catalogue for the retrospective exhibition 'I Am And I Am Not' by Aisha Khalid has been launched this afternoon at the iconic Frere Hall, Karachi. This catalogue accompanies the exhibition of the same title.

We at AAN are pleased that our founder Amna Naqvi is one of the writers who has contributed to to this publication and has written a comprehensive essay about Aisha Khalid's practice of twenty-eight years. "The Door Is Open, Let The Beauty We Love Be What We Do" is the title of the essay and is a verse from Jalaluddin Rumi's poetry. This essay covers Aisha Khalid's vast and multi-faceted fine art practice including paintings, in-situ and textile installations as well as other explorations.

About the Writer

Amna Tirmizi Naqvi is a collector, philanthropist, writer, thought leader and a supporter of the visual arts for over twenty years. The AAN Foundation which she has co-founded, creates platforms for Pakistani artists to launch ambitious projects in Pakistan, Asia and globally. The Foundation is supported by over nine hundred works of art in the AAN Collection, which have been exhibited in over fifty museums and public institutions such as The Met, Guggenheim Museum, Belvedere Museum, Venice Biennale, Mohatta Palace Museum and Singapore Art Museum. A former banker, she has been on the Global Council for Art & Culture, Asia Society and a member of the SAAC, Tate Modern. She has also published and supported over twenty five art publications. She is regularly invited to speak at institutions such as the Museum of Fine Art Boston, Art Basel, Columbia University, TEDx, amongst others. She has contributed to publications for DB Kunst Halle, Whitworth Art Gallery and Gandhara Art. She is regularly featured in global art publications such as Occula, Orientations, The Financial Times and Sotheby’s Magazine amongst others.