The Department of Cultural Studies at the National College of Arts hosted a one day Symposium titled “A Vexing Discourse on Art: How to Map a Timeline of Pakistani Art” on 21st November 2025 at the Shakir Ali Auditorium. The event showcased an ongoing research project by third year Cultural Studies students developing a historical timeline of Pakistani Art History, supervised by Dr. Farida Batool, Ammara Khalid, Zohreen Murtaza and Rabeya Asim.
A distinguished panel; including Prof. Salima Hashmi, Prof. Quddus Mirza, Aasim Akhtar, Prof. Dr. Faisal Sajjad, Zarmeene Shah, Waheeda Baloch, Manmeet K. Walia, Dr. Samina Iqbal, Asad Hayee, Amina Ejaz and Sehr Jalil; used this case study to explore broader concerns of teaching, documenting and researching Art History in Pakistan. Esteemed guest Zarmeene Shah also discussed the curatorial approach behind her exhibition “Manzar: Art and Architecture from Pakistan, 1940s to Today”, shown at the National Museum of Qatar in 2024.
The Symposium additionally featured a virtual appearance by Waheeda Baloch, who read an excerpt from her dissertation tracing the evolution of NCA and highlighting historical gaps, particularly its connection with the University of Sindh, Jamshoro. These insights reinforced the need to revisit and recontextualize institutional histories when mapping art’s development in the region.
Session II deepened the conversation by addressing the challenges of teaching Art History today, including reliance on Eurocentric texts, unilinear course structures and the impact of language, class and cultural differences on pedagogy. Young to mid career educators from Lahore and beyond reflected on curriculum gaps and decolonial approaches, supported by an online discussion led by writer and educator Nageen Sheikh. Both sessions were moderated by Zohreen Murtaza and Rabeya Asim, bringing together a nuanced, multi layered discourse on shaping Pakistan’s Art Historical narratives.
