:: Mauj ~ موج //

Mapping new media in Pakistan

2011-12-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

Mauj was commissioned by the Asia Europe Foundation to do a research based project of mapping new media activities in Pakistan.After much hard work and persistence

the new media mapping is finally published on culture360.org.

http://culture360.org/asef-news/mapping-new-media-in-pakistan-research-paper-out/

Thanks to all who contributed and to Valentina for taking this project through to completion!!

Leena Ahmed and Ian Fletcher at Art Dubai

2011-01-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to Leena and Ians audio participation in Art Dubai from 16th to 19th March 2011
http://theislandarts.org/exhibitions/menasa-studio-dispatches/leena-ahmed-and-ian-fletcher/

Leena Ahmed Born in Karachi, Pakistan, 1975. Lives and works in Karachi. BArch.Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi, Dec’ 2000. Madhyama Purna (Tabla) Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi, 2006- 2008. Tabla.

Ian Fletcher is an electronic musician, DJ and Producer from the UK. The tracks N-Coach and Dub Coach have been mixed by him during the course of this Mauj residency for The Rising Tide exhibit.

"Saddar"---sonic art pieces within 'The City in Nature' project at the Rising Tide exhibit at the Mohatta Palace Museum , Karachi ---Leena Ahmed and Ian Fletcher, Manchester
These sonic art pieces , aim to celebrate both the urban and the rural/folk sounds that have become an integral part of our daily lives. Using the bus as the analogy for the City and the river as the analogy for Nature, some of these pieces explore how these two moving bodies move through their routes/courses. One picks up more people on its way and the other, water, in its flow.
When the bus conductor calls out his route, one discovers in it a loop of melody and rhythm. This soundscape is a unique feature found on our roads, an addition to the universal vehicular sounds. Since the written word is not understood by all, this oral tradition has developed into an innovative, popular genre of street sounds which could also be termed as 'popular-folk'.
All sounds and rhythms in the track W-21 are from the sound vocabulary of the road/bus/bus conductor, including the conductor's thumping at the back of the bus signalling to the driver.
Sometimes one even encounters a folk snake charmer, jogi, on the city road, taking one to the sounds of the beautiful ancient folk tradition of Sindh.
Such is the amalgam of the soundscapes enveloping us!

N Coach

The rhythms of the bus conductors’ chants immediately suggested these rhythms and bass lines. Editing and combining different chants and applying various effects such as filters and delays, the chants fuse with Broken Beats with Tabla and Latin Percussion.

Dub Coach
This piece combines the sounds of the city with different Bus Conductor chants. Dubstep and Ragga rhythms support the chants alongside a Deep Bass line. Various effects have been applied to the voices such as frequency shifting.

Mauj at the Mohatta Palace Museum Nov till March

2010-11-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

Come and visit the Mauj Media Lab at The Rising Tide, an Exhibit of Contemporary Pakistani Art from the 90's uptil now_ Mohatta Palace Museum, Karachi

City in Nature on Prezi

Notes from Bandung

2010-08-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

.
The meeting in Bandung, Indonesia last month was about civil society, media and environment, but it also connected self organised groups and individuals from many parts of the world like Arthit who organizes the ICT Mekong camp in Bangkok, Cathy Candano from Singapore who is an environmental researcher, Vicky from Arcspace Manchester, Steven Kovats from Transmediale, Gustaff, Ranti, Andun and various other friends from the Common Room, Bandung, France, Australia and myself from Mauj, Karachi.

During our formal and informal sessions, which inevitably but happily were disturbed by some amazing food that Common Room organized, a number of questions started reverberating around my head which most of us needed new definitions for

I'll just jot a few down that came out in our brainstorming session,maybe others want to comment on them, we already decided to prepare a document addressing some of these questions. It would be divided into a public declaration and a more intimate working document

1) why is mapping important (and for whom)
2)the importance of media artists to cross boundaries between art, technology, science and education
3)funding sources and how they end up affecting the way groups function
4)the people within a group and how they affect the kind of activities a collective is involved in
5)what kind of network approaches work
6)digital activism and censorship (how to get around obstacles)

a lot of discussion went into funding and censorship

While in Bandung it was also very fruitful to have a live streaming session and chat irc about WATER issues with Jean Noels group in the Alps and Vanessa in Columbia, Venzha, Andreas in Yogyakarta and the Arcspace group
not only was it enjoyable and people on our side wanted to share beer, food and snakes with their virtual friends so it was quite entertaining as well as educational

Ive come back from this meeting with a big smile that there are some really cool people still in this world
people who could possibly change the future :)
and best of all they are my friends

all the best
Atteqa

more pictures from city ragas amsterdam and karachi

2010-06-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

The theme for the photo exchange was energy, with each participant trying to respond to the previous photo sent to him or her

City Ragas Picture exchange Karachi and Amsterdam

2010-06-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

Some mobile phone images exchanged between Karachi and Amsterdam at Shanaakht 2009 during a game called City Ragas designed by Lipika Bansal from the Waag Society.

Study on New Media in PK -- Tell us what you do ____

2010-04-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

Invitation to participate
:: e-Culture | New Media ~ in Pakistan *

Hello !

Mauj Collective is conducting a study on e-Culture and New Media practices in Pakistan. It covers the arts, social development, business and nonprofits.

banking services on mobile

We will ask you to fill a short form given below -- one for each person, one for each organization. This will ask for basic information accompanied by a question each on history and future. We will also ask for accompanying text, images and videos. This study is supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation ASEF.

It is important that you be part of this study in order to help identify the technoculture scenario in Pakistan. It is equally important to identify oneself as an actor in a trend, which is both a global phenomena and is redefining itself in our unique context.

digital design

art & new media

The study takes a broad of view of New Media and is particularly interested in how new media technologies are affecting the fabric of our culture. To this end we are particularly interested in documenting instances in which technologies have positively contributed to public culture, whether through a service, show, software, or event.
This study will lead into the production of an online directory (later network) of artists, architects, curators, culture-workers, development people, entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, animators, software and game developers, journalists and publicists. It will also produce a report and three short articles including one video. All of these will be available on the internet.

creativity in software

The directory will keep growing into a social
networking interface to encourage inquiry, access to information about each other's work, cooperation, collaboration, exchange among all these actors and entities across pakistan. This will also be available to organizations and people internationally who want to engage in new media in Pakistan.

We also request you to help us identify people and organization which have played, or are playing leading roles in this area. You may forward their contacts to us, and convey this invitation to them on our behalf. Its also here: http://tinyurl.com/pknewmedia

We would be happy if you would get back to us with the form and accompanying materials by Tuesday, 27th April 2010. Note: this has been extended due to limited response. We are now contacting people individually. Still do get in touch with us.

With best wishes.

Yasir Husain

Mauj Collective for Open Technology, Art & Culture
Info & Form: http://tinyurl.com/pknewmedia
Email:    yasir /dot/ media2 /at/ gmail /dot/ com
Cell:      +92 333 214 9543 (inquiries/scheduling pick-ups)
Blog:    http://maujmedia.blogspot.com/

img credits: easypaisa, ivs, nuktaart, p@sha

Eco Technologies - Sustainable Design or Design Sustainability?

2010-03-17T07:56:00.001-07:00

Introduction to a proactive world where every citizen
can contribute using new forms of communication

with Rob Van Kranenburg (NL) & Usman Haque (UK)

Usman Haque is director Haque Design + Research Ltd (www.haque.co.uk), founder of Pachube.com and CEO of Connected Environments Ltd. He has created responsive environments, interactive installations, digital interface devices and mass-participation performances around the world

"What if through the Internet of Things we can create a layer of data, open to all, through which individuals can decide for themselves what they are willing to pay for, get direct feedback from their voluntary donations, coordinate community spending that has a direct bearing to ther needs through participatory budgetting, negotiate with other people in other parts of the world?"

Rob Van Kranenburg, founder of Council, a thinktank for the Internet of Things, (www.theinternetofthings.eu) and co-founder of Bricolabs, (bricolabs.net).

Also featuring an introduction to the Mai Kolachi project One Mile Square, by Amra Ali, Co-Editor of NuktaArt Magazine (http://www.nuktaartmag.com/Nukta/).
Wednesday 24th March,
6.30pm to 8.00pm
at The Second Floor Cafe, Karachi

T2F & Mauj Collective for Open Technology, Art & Culture
Rob Van Kranenburg and Usman Haq are also conducting a workshop (March 22-27) at the DAP-NEDUET City Campus.

Activism and New Media Transmediale discussion with Yasir Husain

2010-02-24T23:13:00.000-08:00

Geopolitics of Climate Change Transmediale 2009

2010-02-24T23:11:00.001-08:00

Mauj presentation at transmediale

2010-02-24T23:09:00.001-08:00

Online screening of film "Give Me Your Love"

2010-02-01T05:13:00.001-08:00

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/2480/Give-Me-Your-Love

on Culture Unplugged

One mile square Mai Kolachi

2010-01-19T00:52:00.000-08:00

Mauj and friends at shanaakht 2009 photos by Shakeel

2010-01-12T00:15:00.000-08:00

interview with Atteqa Malik by Gemma Sharpe

2010-01-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

Gemma Sharpe visited Karachi in August 2009 on her way across South Asia. Here is an interview she did of Atteqa for Other Asias

Mauj shanaakht kids and action

2009-11-15T03:24:00.000-08:00

Mauj at Shanaakht kids playing "Picture This" designed by Shakil and Ata

2009-11-15T02:35:00.000-08:00

Mauj at Shanaakht underwatervideos and paints

2009-11-15T02:28:00.000-08:00

Entangled at Shanaakht

2009-11-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

Entangled

Mauj Collective

This is a series of videos of several venues in the city. They deal with notions of self-organization, biopower, space, anonymous multitudes, the unconscious concrete, the invisible city and people entangling with physical and bureaucratic regulation. There is the subtleness of regulation, the thriving of life, its compartmentalization, the sense of Being (at home and living Here) with the quest to Become. They are snaps of unplanned planning, between the planned and chaotic – forms of lived urban phenomena in Karachi. The camera zooms from above. The image is of forever being tangled in a lover's curls ( Zulf زلف : Persian ).

اگر نسیم صبا زلف او برافشاند

ہزار جان مقیّد ز بند برہاند

امیر خسرو ~

if the morning breeze, a lock of yours, unloosens

a thousand lives prisoned, from their cares, are freed

~ Ameer Khusro

Concept & Videos:

Yasir Husain

Artwork & Programming:
Shakil Awan & Ata Kirmani

Shanaakht Festival 9.10.11 November

2009-11-09T02:44:00.000-08:00

Mauj is at Station No.7 at Shanaakht.

Evening Schedule
http://citizensarchive.org/?page_id=74

Day Schedule / Permanent Exhibits
http://citizensarchive.org/?page_id=68

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Imperial Gardens (Do Talwar, Clifton)

November 9, 10 &11, 2009

Open to Schools between 9 A.M. – 1 P.M.

Free and Open to the Public between 3 P.M. – 9 P.M.

Balochi dance at Danceoff Fri 30th Oct

2009-11-01T03:58:00.000-08:00

Balochi dancers from Lyari at the Danceoff in Karachi dancing to the song "thewa"

Tabla improv by Leena at Danceoff

2009-11-01T03:32:00.000-08:00

Dance off Karachi 30th October, Leena Ahmed improvising on tabla as music from a Columbian track plays in the background, echo is in the song not a faulty sound effect!

Dance off final session UK, Columbia, Brazil, Pakistan

2009-10-28T23:47:00.001-07:00

Join us live on http://www.idanceoff.org/

30th October Friday

to see a collaborative dance event between 4 countries
9pm onwards Karachi time

Participating from:

UK
Arc Space Manchester http://www.arcspacemanchester.org.uk/

Columbia http://intermundos.org/

Brazil http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164668788939&ref=ts#/event.php?eid=164668788939&ref=share

Pakistan http://www.maujmedia.blogspot.com

This event has been made possible by the Arts Council of Uk

Mauj, Karachi will be streaming from http://www.selfworld.net/chambre.swf?id=31

thanks to www.selfworld.net, Ivan Chauband, Jean Noel and Alejo

Kathrin Becker curator from Berlin

2009-10-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Mauj met Kathrin Becker for lunch on 15th October.

Kathrin Becker, is a Berlin based curator and work currently as the head of the n.b.k. Video-Forum. The Video-Forum was establisehd in 1971 and is the eldest video collection in Germany . It has ca. 1000 works of international video artists from the early years of video art in the late 1960s to the present. (www.nbk...org)

It was a wonderful meeting, she has a great sense of humour and we enjoyed talking to her about our work, her experience with archiving the nbk video collection and other fun things

Pictures ~ 5th Tashkent Biennale 2009

2009-10-19T03:47:00.000-07:00

watching "Entangled"

the room with Pakistani artists
curated by Niilofar Farrukh

journalists conference for Artweek

Navoyie Theatre and Opera House
with poster for Sting concert

watching "Entangled"

Art Week 2009 - Tashkent, Uzbekistan

2009-10-17T12:04:00.001-07:00

http://www.style.uz/en/pages/about-the-projects/
Art Week 2009 - Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Greetings from Tashkent, Uzbekistan

2009-10-14T03:51:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Practicing farsi with tajiks, iranis and azeris artists. they are very kind :)
its beautifully laid out city. Older grander Islamabad. also met
korean, german artists.
The Tashkent Biennale opening is tomorrow and the week's programme has
a trip to Samarkand.
The opening has official status with the President Karimov and his
daughter taking interest.
Its part of a series of international cultural events they are having.
later.

2 upcoming events: Tashkent & Shanaakht

2009-10-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

__Tashkent Biennale: Urbanism__

_____Entangling_____

اگر نسیم صبا زلف او برافشاند
ہزار جان مقیّد ز بند برہاند

امیر خسرو ~

if the morning breeze, a lock of yours, unloosens

a thousand lives prisoned, from their cares, are freed

~ ameer khusro

Mauj installation
13-23 October,
Academy of Arts
Uzbekistan

__Shanaakht Festival__

Mauj partners with Shanaakht
9-11 November
Karachi

___all that fuss about New Media !
.
.

Charm of Transitoriness ~ short films at Goethe ~ 30 Sep

2009-09-24T13:24:00.001-07:00

Karachi, a city with 18,000,000 inhabitants is facing the same problem that Berlin faced in 1989: a boom in construction work and no preservation for the historical infrastructures. Berlin controlled the problem properly keeping in mind the value of these antiques in the next generation.

The old buildings of Karachi should also be preserved in the same manner. To create awareness amongst the Pakistani public, Goethe-Institut Pakistan is presenting 10 video clips that captures the historical places of Karachi and the interior Sindh.

~ from the Goethe-Institut events

Goethe-Institut, Karachi presents short films by Amar Mahboob and Nameera Ahmed of Mauj Collective on historic and cultural preservation in Karachi and its surroundings.

The films, made for the Goethe-Institut, will be screened on September 30, 2009 at 7 pm.

at Goethe-Institut, 2 Brunton Road, Civil Lines (lane next to CM House/Sheraton Hotel). Tel. +92 21 5661633-6.

The invitation card is attached. Hope to see you all there!

Nameera

Hanging Fire ***** Contemporary Art from Pakistan

2009-09-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

"Hanging Fire: Contemporary Art from Pakistan," at Asia Society (Sept. 2009-Jan. 2010) is billed as the first major U.S. museum survey of contemporary art from Pakistan.

Producer: Robert Knafo

"WE'RE SCREWED" _ NY Post on Climate Change

2009-09-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Early this morning, nearly a million New Yorkers were stunned by the appearance of a "special edition" New York Post blaring headlines that their city could face deadly heat waves, extreme flooding, and other lethal effects of global warming within the next few decades. The most alarming thing about it: the news came from an official City report. "WE'RE SCREWED".

Contact: The Yes Men , 347-254-7054, 646-220-4137

Fake New York Post: http://www.nypost-se.com/

Video News Release: http://www.nypost-se.com/video

New York City's official report on climate change: http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/pdf/2009/NPCC_CRI.pdf

Wake-up call: http://www.tcktcktck.org/wakeup

Danceoff - Pakistan Brazil UK Columbia - Test 19 Sept 09

2009-09-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

Practice session for live streaming event, with many thanks to Ivan Chabanaud who runs http://www.selfworld.net. Acknowledgement also goes to Alejo Duque and Jean-Noël Montagné on Bricolabs network. Let us know what you think. Mauj.

Its Chambre 31 -Mauj Collective at Selfworld.net in case you get lost, or go here, and interact by entering user ID in bar at bottom

waste matters - lyari

2009-09-13T04:21:00.001-07:00

waste matters
make me speechless
karachi pakistan !!
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/photosvideos/greenpeace-photo-essays/scrap-life-pakistan-with-rob

Bereft in the Fatherland - Ahmed Omar at Koel

2009-08-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

Opening . Tue 18 August 2009 . 5-8pm . till 22 August

Our newest Mauj member Ahmed Omar has a show at Koel.

____________________ Please join us !

www.bereftinthefatherland.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116756126937&ref=mf

Suzanne's Karachi

2009-08-05T12:07:00.001-07:00

Some street images from my stay in Karachi Pakistan in November 2008 and April 2009.
Suzanne's Karachi [flickr]

Nameera and Amar shoot heritage sites in Sindh

2009-08-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

Nameera and Amar from Mauj have been commisioned by the Goethe Institute of Karachi to shoot a number of heritage buildings in and around Karachi and Sindh. The film clips are to consist of pre Islamic , Islamic and Colonial architecture. Here are some fantastic pictures of them in action.

Day 5 - Pinhole Karachi-Linz / 80+1 (video)

2009-08-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

A pleasant Sunday at the Ibne Qasim Park (Bagh)in Clifton, Karachi's biggest public park. We are placed near the the end of at the stone Lady Lloyd Pier which ends in pavilion in the centre of the park. The coast has been landfilled developed and is at the opposite end of the park. There were quite a few new chance acquaintances made through the pinhole, between Karachi and Linz.

Day 3 - Pinhole Karachi-Linz / 80+1 (video)

2009-08-01T03:40:00.000-07:00

Review note on Day 2 & 3 - Pinhole - Karachi to Linz

2009-08-01T03:27:00.000-07:00

what usually happens in the sort of thing we 've tried so far is that its people on the street who just want to peek. then a crowd gathers. while we volunteer the headphone to talk to austria with picture.

its been male 95 %

usually there is one or two people who can speak english and nwho are eager to talk. sometimes there are kids on both sides. the whole things is quite humorous and surprising at the same time, and yet its random street corner stuff at the same time.

one boy even told us that anybody can do this: he can skype from home, obviously missing missing the point of people around the box, who have never used the internet or seen what it is and those who use netcafe's when they need to.

in his attempt to communicate despite different languages, one guy tried sveral inclusding pushto, pounjabi, and urdu, and soon enough one indian guy joined in the conversation, as curiously piqued as these guys... the guy in karachi had started by saying : wo aagaya kaala, kalay !! apna bhaai, "there he is, a black brother here !!".

another introduced himself by saying he had worked for agerman company for 10 years in abudhabi !

so there were mochis (cobblners), a/c repairmen, passers by, waiters, rikshawala, children selling flowers, and unknown others. one guy wanted to do commercial venture with us at his space near baloch colony.

others practised their english. girls in linz evoked general enthusiasm in the hattempt to communicate, in a general urgency bordering on desperation to communicate.

the conversation and utterances sometimes veered of polite discourse, but usually brought back by others there or one of us. they were telling them about the city and country :)

so we could make up scenarios., because we have themes also. this time its inside outside i think? atteqa?

so we can brief the person at this end, while also showing the new person in linz the theme on a paper 'inside outside'. also we could keep the pace fast, by asking people to use the headphone for 5 min only ...(for example) then pass on to the next person

i think we can be a bit organized to document better also and/or play a game or two

the background environment is also important. market, beach, street, landscape ....

4th session of pinhole, racism

2009-07-31T23:05:00.000-07:00

A very interesting day in many respects

we were at an office where working Karachiites got a chance to look into the pinhole. On the other side from Austria we were first visited by some young men who had a little too much to drink.

They introduced themselves as being from Iraq and then went on to make a lot of other unsavory remarks generally and some directed at the women who were with us.

It was funny because due to the culture difference and a little bit of delay on the audio were not picked up by the people who were with me (or they were and we all just ignored it for the sake of the fun experience)

then I got a text from one of the people working in hall in Linz apologizing for the rude gentlemen. What surprised me that while it was all going on I did not have the presence of mind to just turn off the call. It was like I was frozen in the attempt to communicate and did not realize that this particular communication was not worth it.

any way, after this a very intelligent young boy around 12 came on and proceeded to display immense amounts of knowledge not just about Pakistan and 20/20 cricket but the world in general. He was Austrian but lived in London. I asked him about racism in London schools against Pakistanis. He said it did exist but school administrations tended to take the issue very seriously resulting in suspensions. I was happy to hear that. I asked him what we should about the whole problem of racism and the young man replied that there should be a Global treaty on racism. I was very impressed and asked him to write to the UN about it!

Second day of pinhole from near Tariq Rd to Linz,Austria

2009-07-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Shot of live skype session from Karachi to Linz
We had a fabulous time today!!!!were joined on the street by a really entertaining group of young men
Yasir in grey shirt taking photo of session

Some of my memorable moments are when the AC technician said "Chus " into the microphone and said that he had worked with a german air conditioning company for 10 years

And the other was the monologue/dialogue that another young man came up with in spurts of Urdu, Pashto which was so hilarious that we were all in fits, typical Karachi Humour!!

First day of pinhole exchange between Linz and Karachi

2009-07-24T10:19:00.001-07:00

Had to make a makeshift pinhole because the actual pinhole is still stuck at Pakistan customs.First sat out on the street, great visuals, not too much ability to communicate, then it started raining, so I moved inside my house, had great visuals and very good audio. The dialogues that followed with many visitors to the festival in Linz, Austria are truly memorable. Looking forward to tommorow !

Creative Confidence Pakistan

2009-07-19T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

The Creative Confidence Pakistan document is up on our wiki now

It is a report generated from the visit of Suzanne Hogendoorn, a documentary filmmaker and Rob Van Kranenburg, a media theorist, to Karachi in the month of April 2009

In addition to a description of activities, it identifies future projects that could be initiated as a result of the wonderfully successful visit of these 2 Netherlanders

http://sites.google.com/site/maujwiki/Home/creative-confidence-pakistan

Mauj and Ars Electronica July August 2009

2009-07-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you in the Linz area pls. check out live broadcasts from Mauj in Karachi to the pinhole in the box project at Ars Electronica

http://www.80plus1.org/blog/801-%E2%80%9Cbasecamp%E2%80%9D-plans-announced-for-building-on-the-linz-main-square

we will be starting probably by next weekend, every Friday Saturday Sunday, uptil mid August
14.00 Austria time for 2 hrs
and we will hook up our camera to public places in Karachi
given that Karachi is a VERY unpredictable megacity, we are prepared for surprises and a few rude shocks!!!! but not too many I hope

The Syncretic Sense

2009-07-07T20:46:00.001-07:00

http://mediaarthistories.blogspot.com/2009/03/roy-ascott-retrospective-syncretic.html

Picasso's Light Graffiti:
http://mediaarthistories.blogspot.com/

meeting with Ahmed Omar from USC

2009-06-03T23:34:00.000-07:00

Our meeting with Ahmed Omar on Tuesday the 31st of May was very enjoyable. He is a very talented young media artist currently finishing his studies at the University of Southern California. He is working on an interactive project dealing with scavenger children in Pakistan for the 3 months of summer this year.

He showed us his ideas and I was amazed that in terms of conceptualizing and designing the structure of his projects he is way advanced than most of us.What he has going for him is the fact that he applies his aesthetic and technical judgements in the best possible way. It would be great to have him liasoning with Mauj as he can give us very stimulating input.

Marchoro Fights by Asim Butt

2009-05-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Shariat Kills. 2009. KPT Exchange, Karachi.

"Marchoro" ! : 'Kill 'em Off !'

From the fb album:
"Street Dossier" by Asim Butt

Suzanne - already famous !

2009-05-05T00:24:00.001-07:00

Article on Suzanne Hogendoorn,

Mauj member from The Netherlands

in Dawn today.

http://suzanneindawn.notlong.com

Suzanne Hogendoorn

at the Shanaakht Festival press conference

at the Arts Council, Karachi. April 2009.

Censorship, State & Society - 530pm Thu 30 Apr 09

2009-04-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

Culture SOS is meeting

Please call as many people persons as possible interested in issues related to censorship, state and society.

Fomma Art Centre

Zamzama Park
Thursday April 30, 2009
Time: 5:30 pm

Niilofur Farrukh

Yasir Husain

CultureSOS members are concerned citizens of Pakistan. CultureSOS takes preventive & curative steps against attacks on Expression, Public life and the Public Sphere. CultureSOS upholds the Freedom of Expression for all.

CultureSOS has 40 very creative people in it. Please join in the fun !

+ Shanaakht Petition & CultureSOS group

Denmark Pakistan school exchange

2009-04-23T02:07:00.000-07:00

Hi,

please see the Danish contribution at http://globalelangkaer.blogspot.com/ and the Pakistani one at http://karachiaarhus.blogspot.com/

this was a lot of fun! among other things coming out of the discussion, we realized the colourful Danish school bathrooms were actually the work of creative Danish school kids and not administration

Atteqa

The festival that was not to be

2009-04-16T04:41:00.000-07:00

Reacting to the events at the Shanaakht festival,

For me personally it is clear that the contested image is unproductive and simply too easy a collage in terms of artistic work. For this I would if Iwere in any way responsible offer a public apology. In all nations, notonly in the East, freedom of speech is debated. In the country I was bornin, Holland - Geert Wilders is stretching his limits and the least we cansay is that does not lead to more cooperation, understanding and trustbetween people of different religions, stories and opinions.

In the West there are also clear boundaries to what can legally be said. The Holocaust is incontestable. If you belittle or deny that charges will be broughtagainst you.The fact that the artist and the head organizer responsible are takingthemselves ( perhaps rightly and certainly understandably) out of thepicture should signal that the persons who take responsibility now can notbe associated with the process of selection, curation, and exhibit.They are concerned with the violent, hostile and irresponsible reaction ofcertain parties that led to the organizers feeling they could no longerensure the safety of the hundreds of children, families, young students,foreign artists and participants in the festival.

It is very unfortunate that the reaction resulted in halting a veryimportant cultural event that people from all walks of life were reallyexcited about.For this reaction has only strenghtened the already global view that theworld has of Pakistan. Here we do not politely discuss (although there isa longer tradition then anywhere else in the Persian region of a realmulticulturalism), here we do not engage in dialogue and maybe first tryto understand the others point of view (although the strong and mightySufi tradition brought the very idea of a pragmatic dualism into theworld), no here we barge in with men and guns, big bullies shoving peopleaside. How brave on a family festival.And although I certainly do not want to belittle the understandable reaction to this picture, I do feel that if this picture had not been there, another one could (would?) have been singled out to give such offense so as to cause this rioting. Maybe there are certain parties who can not stand that people come together for a week through cultures andthe arts and simply have a good time? As if this is possible in thecurrent climate! And it was.

Their irresponsible behaviour has caused that people will stop to wonder very hard if they are again willing to invest so much energy into organizing something positive for all, free for all. What they have probably only contributed to is that artistic events will go undergroundand into the galleries available for an elite. It is very unfortunate as this picture which could have served as the perfect test case. We must for sure take into account that the artist is not Pakistan based but living inan iconic culture in which collages of this kind are being discussed as pure form, any reference to the real living people reduced to a tinysecond shock moment, because nothing in imagery ever seems to get throughto us anymore. I'm certain that had she known that this could have happened, she would have withdrawn it.

The best thing that could now happen is a real open discussion between the party workers that stormed in, the organizers, and the artists. Then the protesters can share their pain and sorrow, the organizers can explain their curatorial philosophy of anything goes as it is a gift, and the artist can express her righteous anger for having to have to live abroad and not being able to work in the counrty of her origin because of the violence and hardheadedness of men who do not want to give up theirpriviliges,

Rob van Kranenburg

Rob van Kranenburg was present at the Shanaakht festival during therioting. He had come to Karachi as a guest of Mauj and Nukta Art Magazine to host a workshop on new media criticism, sponsored by Mondriaan Foundation and ASEF.

Press Conference | Vandalism @ ArtsCouncil | Mon 13 April

2009-04-12T14:43:00.001-07:00

' Culture SOS ! '

TODAY (Mon 13 April 09):

Press Conference - Vandalism @ ArtsCouncil
Karachi Press Club, 4:30pm

BE THERE !

Come to the Press Conference at Karachi Press Club (KPC) at 4:30 pm, sit in the audience and watch the panel reading out the Statement (petition below) and explaining: what is wrong with attacking a public space, to journalists and the public.

Shanaakht Petition & CultureSOS group

2009-04-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

Please:

1. Sign petition, and ask people to sign petition:
Inquiry into Vandalism at Arts Council Khi 08Apr'09 http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Vandalism_at_Arts_Council_Karach/

2. Join, and Ask People to Join the googlegroup CultureSOS at: http://groups.google.com/group/culturesos

Other groups are welcome to take up the petition on their own.

To send messages to the whole group write to:
culturesos [at] googlegroups [dot] com

Please forward to friends.

Media & Activism event in the news

2009-04-08T17:06:00.001-07:00

Use of modern technology in protests highlighted
The News, Karachi

Street fighting days
Dawn, Karachi

+ Media & Activism | Tue 07Apr | Goethe & Mauj
+ Mauj: internet tech & political media

Support for travel of Rob van Kranenburg & Suzanne Hogendoorn

2009-04-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

The Mondriaan Foundation has supported travel of Rob Van Kranenburg and Suzanne Hogendoorn to Karachi, Pakistan in the month of April 2009.

The Asia-Europe Foundation is supporting logistic expenses occurring for events organised during Rob Van Kranenburg and Suzanne Hogendoorn's visit to Karachi, the events include:

Evening on Media and Activism, 7 April
Shanaakht Festival, 8-12 April
Writing Workshop on New Media Art, 10-11 April

The Goethe Institute, Karachi has supported Mauj by allowing their premises to be used for the Evening on Media and Activism on 7 April 2009.

T2F has agreed to share their space with Mauj during the Shanaakht Festival 2009, thus resulting in great ideas being explored by Mauj in the public domain.

T2F at Shanaakht | 8-12 April

2009-04-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

|||| ___ Thank you T2F for sharing your space with Mauj ! ___ ||||

Schedule of T2F Events at the Shanaakht Festival 2009
Join us at Karachi Arts Council from 8 - 12 April 2009.

Wednesday April 8

7:00 pm
The Elephant in the Subcontinent: Conversations in India and Pakistan featuring Ethan Casey

Thursday April 9

7:00 pm
Sheereenié Guftar: A selection of prose and poetry that highlights the sweetness of the Urdu language, presented by Irfan Sattar

7:45 pm
Unforgettable Cricket Memories: A slideshow of rare images presented by Iqbal Munir and Saad Shafqat

Friday April 10

7:00 pm
Pakistani Poetry Over the Years, curated and presented by Asif Farrukhi and Zaheer Kidvai

Saturday April 11

7:00 pm
One Man Theater Performance of Necropolis by Indian Theater Activist, Parnab Mukherjee

About Necropolis
Necropolis is a riveting photo-performance that provokes, angers, saddens and mesmerises ...
Two men meet on the street. They have to make a deal. Or rather they want to make a deal. One has something to sell and the other needs something to buy. The Dealer is unsure what to peddle or whether he wants to peddle anything in the first place. The Client knows what he has to buy but does not know exactly how to. A cat and mouse game begins between these nameless, faceless, shapeshifters who have to make a transaction which they are not sure why they would make.

8:00 pm
Readings and Conversation with Nadeem Aslam, Author of Maps for Lost Lovers

Sunday April 12

12:00 Noon
Personal Histories: Mrs Zeerak Raziuddin and Prof Manzoor Zaidi

Mrs Zeerak Raziuddin
Daughter of the fabled Dr Ashraf ul Haq of Hyderabad, she was the niece of Shahid Ahmad Dehlavi and played in the lap of Josh as a child. She was one of the first women to drive a car in Karachi, open a boutique, run a business and make a film.

Professor Manzoor Zaidi
One of the leading physicians in the city, Dr. Zaidi headed the Radiotherapy unit at the JPMC. As a young medical student, he vividly recalls the September 47 riots in Karachi and the transition from Delhi.

6:00 pm
Mushaera featuring leading Urdu poets from Karachi

On All Days

Mauj, a collective that uses open technology for art, culture and empowerment, will interpret the theme of identity in different projects using helium balloons, a collaborative cellphone photo project with Amsterdam called City Ragas, sounds of Karachi bus conductors and more ...

Art Activities for School Children

Thank you CAP for providing T2F with a space at the Karachi Arts Council.

Writing New Media Art | 10-11 Apr | Nukta & Mauj

2009-04-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

Nukta Art Magazine and Mauj Collective

present a

Writing Workshop on
New Media Art

by Rob Van Kranenburg

10 & 11 April 2009, Karachi

identity, interactivity, networks. future trends, co-creation, resonance, the blurring of arts and design in the Internet of Things, the role of the artist in an ever more complex world full of radicalism - what does this mean for the disruptive qualities of art if disruption becomes the default?

by registration only.

inquiries: maujmail [at] googlegroups [dot] com

image

[Nukta Art]

Mauj interprets Shanaakht | 8-12 April + 5-7 pm

2009-04-02T14:28:00.001-07:00

Shanaakht Festival

shanaakht | identity

City Ragas

'Mein Kaun Hoon' & 'Borders'

Eye Balloon

helium balloons and mobile cameras

Bus Conductor Chants

urban culture

||||

8-12 April | @ 5-7 pm | Arts Council Karachi

We will be there, a little earlier on 12th Sun, the last day

Come see us there !

Media & Activism | Tue 07Apr | Goethe & Mauj

2009-04-01T10:40:00.001-07:00

Invitation to an evening on

media & activism

07 April 2009

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Goethe Institute

2 Brunton Rd, Civil Lines, Karachi

(Brunton Rd is the lane next to CM House near the Sheraton)

Students, journalists, activists, artists, technologists

& mediaworkers are especially invited. Please forward.

on facebook

+ + + +

Programme

Welcome by Goethe Institute
Introduction by Mauj Collective

On the Need of Bureaucracy: slowing things down in the age of acceleration
Rob van Kranenburg

'We will block you' (documentary film)
Suzanne Hogendoorn & Mark Kulsdom

[break]

Tracking the Long March
Awab Avi

Journalists will join in
Open discussion

+ + + +

An evening on Media and Activism
Do media and activism always go together. How does an activist media fill the gaps. How do the new technologies fit in this picture. What does this increased access to information mean for our complex culture and society.
In a timely note Rob van Kranenburg observes the present age of acceleration. Concerning the role of the artist in an ever more complex world full of radicalism, he dares to ask: what
does this mean for the disruptive qualities of art if disruption becomes the default?
Suzanne Hogendoorn presents her film on European activists at the G8 Summit 2007.
Awab Alvi gives us a behind-the-web look at citizens covering the Long March in March 2009 using internet & cellphones.
We hope to involve journalists in the discussion. Open discussion will follow.

_________

Rob van Kranenburg graduated cum laude in Literary Theory at Tilburg University (Nl). He went to work with Prof Ronald Soetaert in Ghent, in the Educational Department, developing online learning modules, methods and concepts drawing on the idea of multiliteracies. In 2000 he went to Amsterdam to work as programmer on media education at the centre for culture and politics de Balie and as teacher-coordinator of the new media program in the Film and Television Studies Department at the University of Amsterdam. Feeling it was to young a field to predominantly historize it, he moved to Doors of Perception and co-programmed with John Thackara Doors 7, Flow, the design challenge of pervasive computing. In 2003 he mentored a postgraduate course in performance, theatre and the arts at APT, Arts Performance Theatrical. He has also been associated with The Virtual Platform (nl), the Waag Society (nl), Transmediale Festival (de) and Sarai (in).

Suzanne Hogendoorn is an international documentary filmmaker from The Netherlands. Her documentaries are usually associated with activism and have aired on channels such as Holland Doc. She is a member of the Mauj Collective and is making a documentary on the same. She made the documentary with Mark Kulsdom

Awab Alvi is the most well-known blogger in Pakistan. He is also an activist and a practicing dentist. He has broken a number of stories to the media in the past and is an advocate of citizen journalism using the internet in particular. Awab's blog at http://teeth.com.pk/blog/ was selected the Best South Asian Blog for 2008
by the Brass Crescent Society Jury .

The Mauj Collective is engaged in art, technology and empowerment of people. It wants to introduce larger numbers of people in Pakistan to new media art. It wants to explore ways in which the interplay and interstices of art and technology are also socially engaging and empowering.

Mauj using EyeBalloon

2009-03-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Fly01

Fly02

Laal - improvising

Laal live

Laal live - zulmat ko zia

Laal in Karachi

2009-03-18T03:13:00.000-07:00

Laal will be performing in Karachi outside the Geo TV offices on 22 March 2009.
They recently launched their Album and song Umeed e Sahar.

Mauj played their video 'Mein ne uss se ye kaha' at the Transmediale in Berlin to a warm response.

Laal's 'Hope of Dawn' sets the tone for Restoration of Judiciary

2009-03-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Group: Laal
Poetry: Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Pakistanis have come out on the street revolted by undue privilege

Mauj: internet tech & political media

2009-03-12T01:46:00.000-07:00

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=9afe309d00" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Long March 2009 LIVE Updates&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Making an Impact - Long March Online

2009-03-11T15:15:00.001-07:00

Mauj is involved with civil activists using digital tools

Please forward this to everyone you know who may have concern. and to concerned lists.
This is the time to let those in the corridors of power know that citizens can count !
you can add your own update such as by sms or internet. read on.
register if you have to. learn it.

Updates - getting them + adding your own

Live coverage
http://cli.gs/LongMarch
Monitor on your GPRS enabled cell phone
http://cli.gs/LongMarchCell

Blog
http://marchforjustice.wordpress.com/
http://teeth.com.pk/blog/

Pictures, videos, MMS, email messages:
http://longmarch.seenreport.com
Updates to this can be sent via Email to:
longmarch@seenreport.com
for reference to specific city replace "cityname" in:

longmarch.cityname@seenreport.com

Updates via SMS should be sent to

0332 479 7546 in the format> longmarch your message

Twitter
http://twitter.com/LongMarch or
follow twitter hashtag at
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=LongMarch

watch pakistani tv (english)
http://www.dawntv.org/

bbc coverage

Bloggers and activists mobilize
Pakistanis recoil against 'crackdown'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7936949.stm

Pakistan arrests ahead of protest
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7936580.stm

Invitation: Mauj @ Transmediale Berlin - Presentation at Goethe Karachi

2009-02-28T03:20:00.001-08:00

Hello,

You are cordially invited to the presentation and discussion on Mauj's participation at Transmediale.

Mauj, a media arts collective in Karachi, just recently attended Transmediale 09, a festival for art and digital culture, Berlin. The theme of this year's festival was 'Deep North', which explored ways in which culture and technology can contribute to possibilities opened up by the metaphorical and real defrosting of the polar ice cap brought on by global climate change.

On March 4, we will be giving a presentation on our participation in the festival and our experiences there.

Programme:

Venue: Goethe Institut Karachi

Date: 4th March 2009

Time: 6 pm

...Please find invitation cards attached...

Review of Amar Mahboob's film Colours of Sand

2009-02-27T22:40:00.000-08:00

Colours of Sand by Amar Mahboob, supported by the Thardeep Foundation

A golden colour sometimes,
the colour of the joy of meeting
A greyish colour that is the colour of an insipid span-of-time,
The colour of yellow leaves, of sticks and straw,
The colour of red flowers, of a flaming flower-bed,
The colour of poison, blood-colour, the colour of dark night
Faiz Ahmed Faiz
(Translated by Victor Kiernan)

Pakistanis know Thar as the land of endless droughts. While droughts have frequently devastated this enchanting land, Thar is one of themost diverse and culturally rich places in Pakistan. Just a littlerainfall turns this desert into a lush wilderness with pristinelandscapes. This film depicts Thar in its innumerable colors.

Atteqa's review

A film with stunning visuals, this is a fantastic ethnographic study by Amar Mahboob of the Thar desert in Pakistan. His focus is the people of Thar, their different castes, histories, rituals and how their attitudes affect their lives. It shows how different seasons are celebrated and the simplicity of lifestyles sustains the people in extremely harsh living conditions. Water is shown as the main agent behind the whole philosophy of life there. What happens when there is water and how preparation is made for when there wont be water is really intriguing to see for me, a person from the city, used to taking running water for granted. Amar has shown how the people bring colour to the dry desert through their vibrant clothes, soulful songs and seasonal rituals.More works like these on the different regions of Pakistan would become an asset for Tourism, Education and Ethnography of this country.

Review of Nameera Ahmed's film Askini ver Bana

2009-02-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

Askini ver Bana (Give me your love) by Nameera Ahmed

"'askini ver bana', or 'give me your love', is a short documentary that explores the role of music in the lives of the Mevlevi Sufis (Whirling Dervishes), followers of the 13th-century Persian poet-mystic Mevlana Rumi, who talked of the making and playing of the reed-flute, the ney, as a metaphor for the training and subsequent transformation of the human spirit. The metaphor still holds power for the Sufis, whose seemingly timeless world within a contemporary context is captured by the film. "

http://www.reelgrok.com/work.cfm?aid=A6D259BFBFA2062843EF543E21D7EC8E&type=&m=1

This film really moved me. It was a glimpse into the struggle of the individual for spiritual connection with God through music. But it was not something that only the extremely blessed could strive for. The film showed how enlightment can be reached for through the mundane, that of making the reed flute, or learning how to play it or dancing to its music. it showed how music was so intimately connected with God, the angels, humans and our connection with God. A very timely film in Pakistan when music is being challenged by some groups as having no connection with religion.

Kara Film Festival 2009

2009-02-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

Kara film festival has been very interesting this year. being held after a gap of one year, one can already see the young Pakistani filmmakers have matured. compared with 3 or 4 years ago when there were hardly one or 2 pakistani films, this year there was some amazing content like a documentary on the Sheedis in Pakistan. The discussions based around the films were also showing the signs of a young generation trying to keep an open mind and initiating dialog on the films. GOOD STUFF!!!!

Mauj at Transmediale, Berlin, 2009

2009-02-04T23:51:00.000-08:00

Watch Yasir Husain and Atteqa Malik at Mauj's presentations at the transmediale 2009, Berlin:

http://www.transmediale.de/en/shift-break-control-south

and at the Salon:

http://www.transmediale.de/en/silent-deep-south-east-asia-en

Rhizome Commissions Program

2009-02-04T23:42:00.000-08:00

Rhizome is now accepting proposals for our 2010 cycle. The submission deadline is midnight April 2, 2009

The goal of the Rhizome Commissions Program is to support emerging artists by providing grants for the creation of significant works of new media art. By new media art, we mean projects that creatively engage new and networked technologies to works that reflect on the impact of these tools and media in a variety of forms. Commissioned works can take the final form of online works, performance, video, installation or sound art. Projects can be made for the context of the gallery, the public, the web or networked devices.
Proposed projects can be at any stage of production, from conception to distribution. Applications must be made and submitted online. Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $5,000 and can be applied to any aspect of the work, including labor costs, technology, or materials. In this funding cycle, Rhizome will award nine grants: seven grants will be determined by a jury of experts in the field, and two will be determined by Rhizome’s membership through an open vote.
Artists who receive a commission will also be invited to speak at Rhizome's affiliate, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and to archive their work in the ArtBase, a comprehensive online art collection.
We are now accepting applications. The deadline for submission is on midnight April 2, 2009.

http://www.rhizome.org/commissions/

.. Making . .. Thinking . .. Cultural Tomorrow .. . ...

2009-01-25T15:19:00.000-08:00

Rob van Kranenburg's texts for sessions at Transmediale.09.
Yasir's interpretatons. ... making dots..on email

Shift Break, Control

When it comes to climate change, many systems of control designed around
national borders break down: internationally restrictive trade processes
and systems of enforcement have little or power in the face of
desertification, mass flooding, forced migration and other social and
environmental disasters.

We face all of these, related to the snow capped moutains and glaciers in the north, Indus river system running north-south with dams, wide irrigation, sea-intrusion in the south. The pattern of the water in the river is now more chaotic, dry + flooding [!]. rain patterns as well in the baluchistan province - massive floods - incapability to warn or do disaster management - the army helped... the same in the earthquake of 2004. economically there is protectionism and bank regulations which have provided buffer from the international financial-economic crises, but still financial inflows (remittances from people working abroad (middle east, US, UK), from exports to others) are affected as the global economy suffers. The domestic credit economy is small so that did not make a big difference, altho car/consumer sales/credit and housing suffered. for most people the problems are just lack of basic services which eats away on the whatever the income is. the informal sector is huge 50% also known as untaxed economy. there is food insecurity mostly due to govt mismanagement.

The industrial and heavy technological
revolutions in 19th/20th century Europe and US contained a blindness to
the consequences of these developments.

Parallel things here form what are the govt's 'development programmes/projects' for the economy - large infrastructure projects (dams, etc) and 'industrialization' was the goal. This has really gone offtrack as there is little consultation with stakeholders even. Policy making is a joke. so the 'blindness' has been of 'criminal' proportions to the people. Class, kin structures rule the day - but there is unplanned social change ..

We now need new strategies to
prevent cultural, social and ethical collapse.

Totally agree. the initiatives cannot come from the top. reform is not possible. things are beyond repair. we need contructive public involvement / movement which leads change..

Can scaling up local
initiatives help meet global challenges?

yes, some of them. we'll also need new ones. we need long-term thinking - which is totally absent [!!!] - govt's policymaking and momentum runs counter to any positive development - so we need many new models too.

What can we learn from models
that distribute insecurity as a default; such as those which are
improvised and informal in Lagos, New Delhi and Karachi?

self-management. monitoring. less reliance on outside entities such as govt - who basically want to put their own people in charge and hijack any good initiatives while destroying them - or to project themselves in their internal politics...

Long-term, research based thinking and initiatives - there are plenty of people who can lead, advise. the environment is seriously discourageing - that needs to be overcome to start...

Shift Break, Control, North

We live at a time when man believes himself fabulously capable of
creation, but he does not know what to create. Lord of all things, he is
not lord of himself.... Hence the strange combination of a sense of power
and a sense of insecurity..... (from The Revolt of the Masses, 1930, José
Ortega Y Gasset

Yes. i agree. it has to do with agendas - state agendas, corporate agendas, research agendas, technological agendas - which are focused on themselves - not people oriented simply. in addition lack of general education does 2 things: - there is little vision of what is possible, and reliance on oppressive default social structure because of insecurity, poverty.

Who is calling for a global fiscal 2pc world GPD boost to prevent global
depression? : "If we are not able to do that, then social unrest may
happen in many countries, including advanced economies. We are facing an
unprecedented decline in output. All around the planet, the people have
reacted with feelings going from surprise to anger, and from anger to
fear." (22-12-2008, Telegraph.co.uk) Amazingly it is Dominique
Strauss-Kahn, heading IMF, in a full-blown reversal of decades of IMF
policy. Associated Press (22-12) contacted 21 US banks that have received
at least 1 billion with four questions: "How much has been spent? What
was it spent on? How much is being held in savings, and what's the plan
for the rest?" Not one bank gave a specific answer.

:-)

Can we still argue from an institionalist point of view for solutions if
our major institutions have become part of the problem?

This is the main question that will be addressed. Claudia Kemfert will explain how for her

Klimaschutz ist der Wirtschaftsmotor der Zukunft (Climate change is the economic motor for the futute) – can still be the key engine of society.

in planning ahead with the available knowledge and resources this is a good idea for us as well. very very important - since we spend so much on oil-energy, even though our consumption is very low. we are also using old energy-wasting technologies and have old visions that are bad for us.

so as large infrastructure, probably yes. but planning should be inclusive, etc

Lorenz Petersen proposes a framework that takes an institutionalist perspective, focusing on the goods and services provided by natural resources rather than on the resource itself.

Part 1:
Discussion with Claudia Kemfert and Lorenz Petersen, chaired by Harald
Welzer Fri, 30.01. - 12:00

Shift Break, Control, South

We do not know what is happening to us, and this is precisely what is
happening to us, not to know what is happening to us: the man of today is
beginning to be disoriented with respect to himself, dépaysé, he is
outside of his country, thrown into a new circumstance that is like a
terra incognita. (1926)

We are all strangers in our own countries, facing uncertain future - literally in our case

The Gurgaon Workers News (Newsletter 15, December 2008) reports how
"after a fatal accident on the Commonwealth Games construction site more
than thousand building workers destroyed company offices, cars and
trucks." It goes so far as to suggest that the aggravating global crisis
imposes a new social framework for incidents like this: "the daily deaths
and legal murders become explosive. The cops shooting a fifteen year old
became the trigger of social unrest in Greece; the fatal accident of a
building worker sparked the simmering turmoil in Delhi."
Has this become our new political framework for agency: fatal accidents as
the new default?
Yet according to Binyavanga Wainaina, "the burning houses and the bloody
attacks here do not reflect primordial hatreds. They reflect the
manipulation of identity for political gain." If a cartoon in one country
can lead to the loss of lives in another, Atteqa Malik states, "then
policies should also be created to address issues that cross borders. All
stakeholders should be considered, inside and outside the country, before
policies are created to influence practice."

yes, this highlights to me : how people cope, self-manage - take things in their own hands
and also the need for inclusive policy, education-information-negotiation-implemenation-monitoring, pro-people policies, civil society oversight, etc.

the people i have been talking to (see earlier email re people from PK and IN) can provide more examples from their experiences, some of which came up in discussion and have not been documented.

Part 2:
Discussion with Atteqa Malik, Binyawanga Wainaina and Yasir Husain,
chaired by Harald Welzer
Fri, 30.01. - 15:00
Atteqa Malik
Binyawanga Wainaina
Yasir Husain

The aim of these two sessions is to transcend the opposition of
distributing security (North) and distributing insecurity (South) as the
political axioms that are and were born out of the ascension of the masses
onto the world stage. How can we retain the vitality of this coming of age
of millions to the world stage and not see this as a drawback of an
original position, but as the awakening of a radical new form of
conversation, "the socializing instrument par excellence", according to
José Ortega Y Gasset.

I agree. How can we....

ideas, information, technologies, medias, networks, social systems, examples, pilots, scaling up, partnerships, knowledge-exchange, interactions, developing the commons at local national regional global levels .....

the global climate change scenario throws us all together, as the parallel with Schmitt's 'absolute enemy' clearly indicates, yet what we find in Pakistan is that leaving aside local knowledge of how to do things (of crops for example), there is little awareness of the implications of climate change, or what it is - the issue is very far from people's daily lives - even though they may be the worst sufferers of it. The knowledge and awareness is simply absent - there is too much cynicism - our govt and our immediate problems have made us like this.

We at Mauj want to play a part in this, partner with others locally, across borders and internationally, pilot things, and see where things go. for example for a few years now, we are in the middle of a media and cellphone "explosion" (now every household has a cellphone) even though real functional literacy is barely 40 % - that is amazing, rich in possibilities in working within non-literate oral cultures ... it has barely begun ...whether they are part of the global 'consumer-credit' economy via TV is being negotiated... indigenous low-energy techniques in building is another area... .. then there are the urban scenarios ... we have to learn to use the cellphone and urdu sms tech. ..

~`~

Mauj at Transmediale.09 Berlin

2009-01-25T14:19:00.003-08:00

http://www.transmediale.de/ 27 Jan - 01 Feb

Silent Deep Part 1 - South-East Asia (Salon)
http://www.transmediale.de/en/silent-deep
http://www.transmediale.de/en/silent-deep-south-east-asia-en

Shift, Break, Control - Cultural Perspectives beyond Policy (Conference)
http://www.transmediale.de/en/shift-break-control-cultural-perspectives-beyond-p

Conference tm.09: Making / Thinking: The Cultural Tomorrow (Intro)
http://www.transmediale.de/en/conference-tm09-making-thinking-cultural-tomorrow

Please watch Mauj at Transmediale.09 on the internet, and chat online during the sessions on 30 January 2009. The chat will appear on screen and will also provide opportunity for Berlin participants to respond to it.

Salon - Silent Deep ~ 12pm Berlin | 4pm Karachi | 430pm Dehli
Conference - Shift, Break, Control - South ~ 3-5pm Berlin | 7-9pm Karachi | 730-930pm Dehli

Live Streams transmediale.09 offers live video streams from the Conference and Salon. Starting on Tuesday 27, you will find a list of available streams here, in the stream-box. watch the streams | join the live chat

Media lab in a school

2009-01-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

2 members of Mauj launched a media art lab (society) in a local school in Karachi for students about 14 years old
We will meet once a week, discuss various forms of media art and then create art of our own
Our first session which will last at least a month is on sound art
Its amazing how smart these kids are...but they know nothing about media art!

Transmediale 2009

2009-01-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

Mauj is going to Transmediale!

Check it out!

We are participating in the Salon, the Conference and moderating an online session at Transmediale, Berlin

Jan 27 to Feb 1.

http://www.transmediale.de/

First Mauj meeting of 2009

2009-01-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

On the pleasant terrace of Nameeras home
The details of Mauj meeting no. 1 for 2009

We discussed how recently the government has allowed privatization of government assets such as telecommunications, television, etc.Buyers have been interested mainly due to the revenue these assets can generate through marketing and advertising.

In a scenario of failed infrastructures how are people managing...in the aspects of security, education (welfare), govt/pvt. health

e.g

Gulbahao_ mobile toilet, was-tic blocks, Chandi ghar, and the latest Choora Chara

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Karachi/30-Sep-2008/Gul-Bahao-produces-animal-feed

Sialkot Airport_ a completely private initiative

we worked out a plan for the Mauj presentation at Transmediale January 27 to Feb 2

The Pakistan Science and Engineering Foundation

2009-01-11T04:31:00.000-08:00

http://paksef.org/

ctrl-alt-del

2009-01-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

The Control Alt Delete project run by Nomad, Istanbul:

http://project-ctrl-alt-del.com/

http://www.nomad-tv.net/

Leonardo Review: DUST

2008-12-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

My latest Film Review:
http://leonardo.info/reviews/dec2008/ahmed_dust.html

Nameera

Construction in Manzar Akbar Hall before our event

2008-11-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

What a joke! when we reached Manzar Akbar Hall at the Arts Council today to check our wateen we found that there was construction going on over there!!

luckily the director was walking down the stairs that very moment I ran after him and asked what is going on we have an event tommorow?

they said they forgot about it and then tried to suggest another place for us
Now the discussion will be under the main auditorium in the theatre workshop, it was a real task getting wateen signals (there are none) under ground, so now we are hooking it up outside the auditorium and will take a cable or Amars wifi inside the basement to have our internet working for the skype part of our discussion with Rob Kranenburg

we need boards and ushers to redirect our guests!!
they need to refund half our money as they basement is cheaper than the hall we had booked

Cheers and hope it all goes well tommorow

Atteqa

What is New Media Art _ Arts Council _ Sun 23 Nov 4-7pm

2008-11-16T08:07:00.001-08:00

The Mauj Collective for Open Technology, Art & Culture

is proud to present an evening of discussion
on New Media Art in Pakistan.

What is it? Where is it going? Who are the artists?

Come and hear a range of people speak about their work.
Learn about the ideas and work of the Mauj Collective.
Participate in discussion on future visions for New Media Art in Pakistan.

Date:        Sunday, 23rd November 2008
Time:        4pm to 7pm
Location:   Manzar Akbar Hall, Arts Council, Karachi

Speakers include:

Nilofur Farrukh_art critic, AICA, Nukta Art Magazine
Rob van Kranenburg_Bricolabs, Indonesia & the Netherlands
Shakil Awan_Senior Producer, Visual Content
& the Mauj Collective

Guests will include artists, art critics, art educationists, filmmakers, graphic artists, visual content developers, radio professionals, journalists, cultural operators and managers and those interested in talking and learning about New Media Art. A special guest filmmaker Suzanne Hogendoorn from the Netherlands will be with us to cover the event.

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP or for more info:
please call 03008294621, 03462024998
or email: maujmail //at // googlegroups //dot// com

New developments and Mauj Urao session Nov 23

2008-11-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

on 4th Nov.Mauj had a very productive meeting with the director of the Goethe Institute, Dr.Markus Litz who was very attentive to us and our plans to Participate at transmediale in January 2009

A couple of days before this Mauj met at Gia to talk to Faisal Butt, an architect very interested in sustainable architecture with technology, Faisal joins Mauj!

On Nov 8th Mauj met Shakil Awan a professional digital animator who brought up very specific issues that CG people have with media people. Hope to hear more from him. Welcome to Mauj Shakil!

Mauj is now preparing for an event on 23rd nov at the Arts Council, Manzar Akbar Hall, informal but cool!!!

i-DAT

2008-11-04T05:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.i-dat.org/

enter3: festival for arts, sciences and technologies

2008-11-02T03:01:00.000-08:00

http://enter3.org/

Ars Electronica

2008-10-29T00:24:00.001-07:00

http://lea.mit.edu/reviews/oct2008/aga_ars.html

Ars Electronica

2008-10-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

http://lea.mit.edu/reviews/oct2008/aga_ars.html

meeting after the media art exhibit

2008-10-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

A very pleasant Mauj meeting was held on the cool green lawns of the Indus Valley school of Art and Architecture after opening of the media art show sponsored by Vasl

We discussed Sharjah, a bit of Europe and most of Karachi
Trying to work out how this event organized by Mauj in November needs to be
Decided on a small informal event inviting the friends of Mauj
and having a very exciting interactive project related to computers, mobile phones, live feeds.....
will go on thursday to check out the venue at the Arts council

Mai Safoora

2008-10-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous story about Mai Safoora near Safoora Goth by writer Abbas Jalbani in the Dawn Oct 6 edition, what fascinated me was the sculpture of the wine jug at Safoora Chowk, the online version does not have the picture unfortunately

http://www.dawn.com/2008/text/fea.htm#1

This is a must addition to the urban history of Karachi!

conference/festivals of interest in istanbul

2008-10-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

http://designcinema2008.org/

http://www.techneplatform.org/

http://www.a-m-b-e-r.net/

media theorists links

2008-10-03T16:09:00.001-07:00

EGS faculty with links to articles & resources

http://www.egs.edu/main/faculty.html

new experimental media centre at RPI

2008-10-03T16:04:00.001-07:00

EMPAC
new experimentacenter at RPI
http://www.empac.rpi.edu/

adding to the other big ones are at cornell, mit and zkm.de

events past at
http://www.empac.rpi.edu/events/

best

Re: [mauj:580] Re: Kara film panel on new media arts

2008-09-29T03:36:00.001-07:00

googling shireen pasha gives very interesting results !

nafisa rizvi at ivs does video art. please contact her. she also writes in papers about art.
can google her too. dont have her email.

also contact gouri for indian recommendations etc or just help with things. she will be very helpful if she has time. she was telling about films on the indian district level govt that she edited, and would like to show somewhere.

also i'm reading up mails about maya nasir - what should we talkto her about - any points of recommendations. will write to her to setup post-eid appointment

best
yasir
uae

2008/9/27 Atteqa Malik:

dont know but he said it was difficult to meet before he left, had a chat with him

he said he would write to Shireen Pasha
and ask Nilofer to speak a bit about her work in media art as well

we need to discuss what format are we using: rent a big screen tv or a projector and a screen, what kind of panel format we will have to show work, cause it cant be just talk talk talk,

what about our proposal to Kara? when and how do we write it, should we make a wiki?

We want peace

2008-09-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

Peace

a word that we are vowing to use work towards in all our exchanges from now on

heres an image from the Dawn Newspaper September 22

http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/22/SlideShow/NIP04.htm

bomb blast at Islamabad Marriott

2008-09-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

A terrible and unfortunate thing to happen. this is definitely going to affect a lot of cultural and sporting events scheduled all over Pakistan in the coming months in terms of overseas participation. Pakistanis die, Pakistanis get bad media publicity and Pakistanis suffer! but Pakistanis continue to keep their head above the water

An interactive proposal funding exercise

2008-09-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Meeting onsite spelling out the details that needed to be filled into an extremely difficult application form, we divided the categories that each member would work on. then we posted it on google docs where each member was allowed to tweak it. what we didnt realise is that google docs messes up when more than one person edits at the same time. So yasir lost a lot of hours of work and so did Amar hours before the deadline date. Luckily Amar had backup. Moral of the story, find a new format to collaboratively edit text in and report the bug to google

On maujmela wiki

2008-08-31T02:23:00.001-07:00

This post is from *Maujmela - Wiki* (~~currently access is limited~~ Access is now public)

Welcome to Mauj's collaborative site - Mauj Mela

Mauj authors free to add pages, add / edit material on existing pages or whatever.

Go to sitemap to see all pages.

The main links at the moment are:
+ Constitution Notes

Whats keeping us busy
+ Karafilm 2008
\ introducing Mauj's New Media Art Panel (email)
+ Places and people we like

Lets start dumping stuff here and sort in process as an ongoing thing

best

yasir

(Chauthai Mauj)

+ + + + +

Mauj surf on the net

+ wiki * Mauj Mela * موج میلہ *
+ blog :: Mauj ~ موج //
+ Facebook Mauj Urao ^ موج اڑاؤ
+ friends of Mauj (email)
+ closed email group Maujmail
+ email-to-blog posts

Some other Maujein

+

with Mt Fuji & boats - click to enlarge

+ Iqbal's is the other: Mauj hai darya mein

+ who are these people :D

can we involve them
in Karafilm
now in technicolor
< with kothari parade !

a few net artworks on Rhizome.org pick-outs

2008-08-28T00:37:00.000-07:00

a few net artworks on Rhizome.org pick-outs:

life-line:
http://texttrends.greyisgood.eu/

ellie's challenges:
http://www.ellieharrison.com/challenges/

a cuppa:
http://www.teablog.net/#blank

juicy:
http://www.jtwine.com/03niesatt.htm#draw

Mauj meeting on sunday 24 Aug

2008-08-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

we met at the Sindhi Muslim location, we all agreed that the room we have for our space is a bit small but hope after some rearranging it will be enough to serve as a resource space and the occaisional meeting for the moment

it was a very good meeting we came up with really relevant topics related to a media art panel with a cinematic theme.The speakers we each suggested for the event were very exciting too, now comes the logistical part of trying to arrange it all if it happens!

we also are working on a media workshop where we incorporate film, music and computers into a schools academic curriculum under the topic of creative expression for 12 to 15 yr. olds.
Nameera who is already teaching Audiovisual Studies at the Karachi U. would do the film aspect
Leena Ahmed who is a degree holder in Eastern Classical Music would do the music part
I would do the computer based part

Interesting Sonic Projects

2008-08-20T03:44:00.000-07:00

Interesting sound-related projects from the ISEA conference material that Atteqa had distributed:

http://www.sonicacts.com/wordpress/

http://www.andreapolli.com/

Fair Trade

2008-08-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade

Sustainability for Mauj

2008-08-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Some ideas for self-sustainability for MAUJ:

Various kinds of Classes/courses:
1) Filmmaking classes for kids and/or adults which Atteqa had suggested earlier

2) Vocational classes (carpentry, electronics, plumbing etc.)
These could be jigsaw-puzzled later with the arts (?)

any comments?