In 2017, curated by Mehreen Hashmi, organized by Spaces Gallery and sponsored by Faisal Bank, Limited, Karachi Art Summit is Pakistan’s first art summit which was held at twelve different sites of Karachi from 21st March to 5th April 2017. In Karachi Art Summit, besides various site-specific installations and sculptures, there are two curatorial projects, more than 80 artists including 34 international artists, three talks and five performances Artists from other countries are also participating with their curatorial projects. Our sites include National Museum, Art Council, Kothari Parade, State Bank Museum, Commune Artist colony, Fomma art trust, Goethe Institute, Alliance Francaise de Karachi, Karachi University, Frere Hall, Quaid-e-Azam House, and Free Mason’s Lodge. These venues are main historical buildings of Karachi and are open for general public.

Public art projects and other exhibitions

Mehreen Hashmi has curated several exhibitions and performances on different monumental, disputed and public places in Karachi while collaborating with various renowned organizations inlcuding I Am Karachi, Culture and Tourism Department, Government of Sindh, Pakistan National Art Association, Alliance Francaise de Karachi and Lahore, Stichting White Cube, Netherlands and Independent artists, Italy. She has curated traveling exhibitions in major cities of Pakistan and has also curated her cultural exchange project ‘Kabutar’ last year in collaboration with Municipality of Busto Garolfo, Italy.

Cansu Ergin , a performance artist from Turkey was invited along with Joerieke from the Netherlands and Christiana Marchi from Italy to Karachi, Pakistan for Kabutar project.

During her years of curatorial practice, she has curated artworks from emerging talents to renowned established artists of Pakistan including Amin Gulgee, Jamil Baloch, Abdul Jabbar Gull, Masood A.Khan, Naheed Raza, Ahmed Zoay, Tassadduq Sohail, Najmi Sura and many others. She has also curated international artists in her exhibitions and have collaborated for curatorial ventures.

Her practice knows no bounds, from curating established artists to promoting emerging talent, she has worked through community outreach while conducting workshops to educate masses to engaging public towards local art scene. Now founder and curator of her own organization ‘MH Initiatives’, she is also running an online curated art gallery.

She has also initiated a digital series called ‘Behind the art scene’ on her YouTube channel.