ALIGARH, September 25: The Department of Fine Arts, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), hosted an experimental exhibition, ‘A World in Passing’, curated by Sufi Yazdani, exploring the interconnected themes of slowness, attention and transience through a range of installations, paintings and photographic works.
The exhibition was inaugurated in the presence of Dr Abid Hadi, Chairperson, Department of Fine Arts, and faculty members. Dr Hadi appreciated the collective efforts of the students and the creative approach reflected in the exhibition. A large number of students visited the exhibition, creating an engaged atmosphere.
A collaborative installation, ‘Hippocampus’, by Tayyab Hussain, Sanobar Nihal, Mehvish Naaz, Abu Noman, Noor Jahan Karim, Afrida Parveen and Hina Kumari explored institutional memory from a fresh perspective. The work centred on the idea that art can begin with the simple act of noticing.
Rehan Arif’s installation, ‘Stay for a While’, explored subjective memories associated with everyday objects. Visitors were invited to write their thoughts on sticky notes, making personal reflection an evolving part of the work.
In the courtyard, Haris Raza Ashraf presented a simulation of a meat shop constructed from straw and bamboo, accompanied by paintings depicting the flesh of bats, poultry and fish. The dominant use of red added to the work’s visual intensity.
An installation by Habiba Arif combined a painting of solitary chairs in a forest with discarded chairs sourced from the department, reflecting on absence, utility and overlooked spaces.
Across the hallway, Habiba Arif and Areeb Aftab presented collaborative and individual works, including photographs of the AMU campus taken during walks in search of the colour blue. Another collaborative work juxtaposed their differing responses to three common prompts with sketches reflecting their contrasting perspectives.
On the staircase, Madiha Imran’s paintings observed the passage of a day from the perspective of a wall, capturing changing light, presence and absence. On the top floor, Soni Saraswat’s collection, ‘The Familiar Surface’, examined ordinary objects and the personal memories associated with them, with green serving as a recurring visual element.