DilPhaink, an installation from ‘the streets to the Heart of Pakistan’s Pop Culture’ was curated by PeaceNiche, the team that worked with Sabeen Mauhmud at T2F.
The installation has been dedicated to her memory.
For those of us, who live a few thousand miles away from Pakistan but whose hearts still beat to the tunes of the homeland, events like the Alchemy Festival at London’s prestigious Southbank are nothing short of a delight – bringing a delicious piece of home to us.
The Alchemy Festival, now an annual event, is a celebration of all things from the South Asian Subcontinent.
There is chatpattichaat and steaming hot desi chai by the River Thames, performances by music maestros including Zakir Hussain, Shreya Ghoshal and this year’s personal highlight, Overload and an eclectic mix of artworks and installations to showcase the very best the Subcontinent has to offer!
This year, Pakistan has made its presence felt in a big way at the festival.
Two installations in particular, Karachi Stories and my own favourite, DilPhaink, took us back to the neighbourhoods we grew up in. The corner stores, visits to the darzi, the infamous graffiti and even a ‘Juggaad Shop’!
Ayesha Babar loves words, cinema and all things Pakistani. She splits her time between London and Lahore and tweets as @ayesh_b.