In the art exhibition titled ‘The Urban Condition’, Sana Arjumand, Saba Khan and Amber Hammad explore the contradictions and paradoxes of living in a city constantly transforming because of technology. In the exhibition, which is running until June 5 at the Poppy Seed Gallery, these three artists explore the citizens’ struggles with issues of class and exploitation and yet continuing to hope for something better as the folklore they grew up on had promised.
Hammad’s work explores how the virtual world conjured for us by means of modern technology compares to the gritty reality that is also a product of the destructive potential of technology – both experiences invariably inform about the hybrids we have become. Khan reflects on the irony of craftspersons’ predicament that they help manufacture commodities that they would never use themselves.
In the wake of this criticality, Arjumand invokes belief in divine help that she grew up on, of light and angels who are said to come to one’s assistance in times of crisis.
Photos courtesy Poppy Seed Gallery
