How the fate of an artist is shaped by art collectors

Aslam plays a crucial role as head of South Asian and Contemporary Art at Bonhams, a prestigious British auction house. PHOTO:PUBLICITY

LAHORE: 

The business of buying and selling artwork is a fascinating one. The dynamics of the art world have been dictated by the market, and this market constitutes a number of significant art collectors. Just like an accessory sported by an established celebrity becomes popular, items collected by art-loving heavyweights add to their value.

It all depends on where a piece of art finds its home. Throughout the course of time, collectors have lent impetus to the art market and played a major role in the success of many artists.

Nour Aslam, head of South Asian and Contemporary Art at privately-owned British auction house, Bonhams, talks to The Express Tribune about how Pakistani art is trending in the international market.

“The Indians are a factor in driving up the Pakistani art market,” says Aslam. “They find Pakistani art aesthetically pleasing and cheaper than Indian artwork.”

Aslam, who is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, New York, has been working at Bonhams in London for four and a half years. She deals with modern and contemporary art from Turkey and Bangladesh, among other places.

Commenting on the inextricable link between art collectors and an artist’s success trajectory, she says, “In some instances, a major collector can change the fate of an artist, and the two go hand in hand. If there was no Gertrude Stein, there would be no [Pablo] Picasso, and if there was no Picasso, there would be no Gertrude Stein.” Not only was the success of these artists contingent on how talented they were and how good their work was, but also on the basis of who liked and bought their creations.

Aslam shares that one of the most imperative factors that contributes to an artist’s success is international collectors. “[Abdur Rahman] Chughtai spent time in Austria, Bashir Mirza in Holland, and Sadequain in Paris, and this exposure was crucial for their success because their work was collected by people abroad.”

Interestingly, another determinant of the success of artists is how accessible their work is. In some cases, the more available an artist is, the less the worth is of his/her work. In most instances, it takes years before an artist’s work becomes worthy of being a collectable. “Most of the famous Pakistani artists gifted their work to their friends and it is after their lifetime that they became collectors’ items,” Aslam says.

Having studied studio art, Aslam plays a crucial role in the prestigious auction house that was founded in 1793 and has 66 locations worldwide. “Once a piece of art is asked to be auctioned off, we have to authenticate it, catalogue it, research the artist and the origins of the work, value the piece and then sell it.” Size, medium and condition of the piece, along with who the artists are and what their background is, are all factors that are considered when a certain piece is being evaluated.

Contemporary artists, such as Imran Qureshi, Aisha Khalid, Rashid Rana, Faiza Butt, Mohammad Ali Talpur, Ali Kazim and Khadim Ali are gaining ground internationally. Aslam talks about the impact that their work is making in the Western markets. “Pakistani contemporaries are being showcased at the Venice Biennale and are getting the Western exposure they need,” she states. “When international art fairs, museums and galleries pick up an artist, they ensure that the right people see the work.” Just like any industry, even the art market depends on both where you showcase your work and who sees it.

With an ever-evolving art market, and certain forms of art and artists going in and out of fashion, Aslam urges people to not hesitate to buy what they personally like. “You have to live with the work; hence, you should love it,” she says.

Lagging behind: Pakistan off-track on Millennium Development Goals

Struggling to meet over 30 indicators under MDGs, on track to attain only 10 by 2015. PHOTO: UN.ORG

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is struggling to meet over 30 indicators under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and is on track to attain only nine out of the 41 aimed for 2015, the government admitted on Wednesday.

The MDGs are eight international development goals that were established in 2000 by UN and its member states for completion by 2015. These goals, comprising social and health issues, have been further divided into over 60 indicators, of which Pakistan had pledged to 41. However, Pakistan aims to achieve only nine, missing out on over 30 key indicators focusing on health, debt services, education and living standards.

Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal blamed economic conditions for the poor performance.

“Reasons for missing most of the indicators include internal and external economic and non-economic challenges,” Iqbal conceded in a written reply to the Senate.

The minister pointed out natural disasters, conflicts, administrative and political changes, weak commitments to economic reforms, lack of awareness, fading commitments by development partners due to global recession of 2007 and belated ownership of MDG agenda at the sub-national level, as reasons for failure.

“Impact of these challenges reflected in slow progress and hence non-achievement of many of the indicators,” he added.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement Senator Tahir Mashadi had expressed doubt over whether Pakistan will be able to achieve the targets pledged under the MDGs by the 2015 deadline.

The government, in its reply, stated that it was working to enhance the capacity of the people through human resource development which involved better education, health, population welfare, skill development services, improved access to clean water and sanitation, and gender mainstreaming initiatives.

The minister also counted steps like provision of productive assets, inclusion of micro finance and transitioning toward social safety net to protect those against natural and manmade disasters.

Iqbal also highlighted that the poverty headcount had declined significantly under the Pakistan Living Standards Measurement survey data – from 34.5% in 2001-02 to 12.4% in 2010-11.

Findings of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) revealed that Punjab, in lieu of its performance in most indicators, is far ahead in achieving the MDGs as compared to other provinces. The findings also stated that no MDG will be achieved in entirety in Sindh, but that the province had made significant progress in certain indicators such as ‘ensuring environmental sustainability’ (MDG 7)
and ‘promoting gender equality and women empowerment’ (MDG 3).

Meanwhile, according to the findings, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had made significant progress in MDG 7 which reflected in its achievement of forest cover and protection of land area for conservation of wildlife. Progress in other MDG areas, however has suffered in part owing to the unprecedented natural as well as manmade calamities which have afflicted the province.

Balochistan is the worst performing province in most if not all areas of the MDGs. No MDG can be achieved in entirety in the province and in the aftermath of the floods, and the declining national economic, even the achievements made so far in a few indicators are at risk of being undone, the UNDP report stated.

Pakistani police officer killed in Karachi by apparent Taliban car bomb

Pakistani Taliban claim responsibility for death of Chaudhry Aslam, known for arresting scores of militants in Sindh province

Police officer Aslam Chaudhry (in white) inspects the scene of a 2011 suicide car bomb attack on his home in Karachi, Pakistan. Photograph: Stringer/EPA

A senior Pakistani police officer known for arresting dozens of Taliban members has been killed by a car bomb in Karachi.

Chaudhry Aslam was targeted as he passed through a commercial area of Eisa Naghri in the southern port city, police sources said.

Aslam, renowned for his bravery, had escaped several attempts on his life in recent years.

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Sajjad Mohmand, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a telephone call to the Associated Press, Mohmand said they had killed Aslam for torturing their associates.

Karachi is the capital of the southern province of Sindh. Aslam played a leading role in arresting scores of militants there in recent years.

Pakistani boy who died trying to stop suicide bomber is hailed as hero

Aitizaz Hasan, 15, is praised for saving classmates' lives by tackling bomber outside his school in north-western Pakistan

Pakistani security officials examine the site of the suicide bombing in Hangu. Photograph: Basit Shah/AFP/Getty Images

A 15-year-old who died while tried to defend his school in Pakistan's troubled north-west from a suicide bomber has been hailed as a hero for saving the lives of many of his classmates.

Aitizaz Hasan tackled the bomber as he stood outside as a punishment for being late to school in Hangu, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday.

His two companions fled the scene after spotting the bomb being carried by the man, who was trying to gain access to the school, but Aitizaz grabbed the bomber.

Unable to stop him from detonating his bomb, Aitizaz later died of his wounds in hospital.

Hangu has a large community of Shias, an Islamic sect which many militant groups regard as heretics who should convert to the majority Sunni faith or be killed.

Aitizaz's actions are thought to have saved the lives of many of the 2,000 students who were believed to be in the building at the time.

"My son made his mother cry, but saved hundreds of mothers from crying for their children," his father, Mujahid Ali, told the Express Tribune newspaper.

"There are a handful of people in the world who are martyrs; I am now one of those proud fathers whose son is among them."

Praise has poured in for Aitizaz's efforts, with some calling for him to be posthumously honoured.

On social media the young boy has been embraced as a national hero for fighting back at a time when most politicians are desperate to pursue a negotiated settlement with militant groups – a strategy condemned by many terrorism experts.

"We live in a land where a young child had to give his life fighting a scourge that our own leaders bend over backwards in an attempt to appease," wrote Zarrar Khuhro, a journalist for Dawn newspaper.

Suicide bomb attacks are increasingly common in Pakistan. A report earlier in the week by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies said suicide attacks had increased by 39% in 2013 to a total of 46.

On Thursday a crusading policeman famous for battling militants in the troubled city of Karachi was killed by a Taliban suicide bomber who rammed his car with an explosive-packed vehicle.

Chaudhry Aslam, who as head of Karachi's Criminal Investigation Department had survived numerous other assassination attempts, died alongside several other police officers in the Essa Nagri area of Karachi despite the protection of the bullet-proof car he was travelling in.

China fines House of Flying Daggers director for breaching one-child policy

Film-maker Zhang Yimou, who has three children with wife Chen Ting, has to pay £750,000 for breaking law

Zhang Yimou. Local authorities investigated following claims last March that Zhang had at least seven children. Photograph: Ahn Young-Joon/AP

Acclaimed film director Zhang Yimou must pay a 7.5m yuan (£750,000) fine for breaking China's strict family planning laws, local authorities have announced.

Officials said he had three children with his wife, Chen Ting, without approval before the couple married in 2011.

Zhang, 61, became an international star with films such as House of Flying Daggers, Hero, Raise the Red Lantern and To Live. In recent years he has become an establishment figure and acted as artistic director of the Beijing Olympics.

Binhu district government, in Chen's hometown of Wuxi, eastern China, said in a microblog statement on Thursday that it spent six months investigating whether the couple had violated the law.

Its inquiries followed claims last March that Zhang had at least seven children. Zhang's representatives subsequently confirmed he had two sons and a daughter with Chen, but denied that he had children withmistresses.

According to the state news agency Xinhua, Chen said the couple had not registered their marriage because they feared Zhang's identity would be exposed.

The case hit a nerve in China, with critics arguing that the rich and powerful often avoid punishment for breaches of birth control laws while the poor are penalised.

Officials were criticised for failing to respond to initial reports of a violation more quickly, but said in Thursday's statement that they had repeatedly contacted the couple without receiving a response. Only in November did Chen and Zhang send agents to Wuxi to co-operate, they said.

They added that the fines were based on the couple's total income of more than 3.5m yuan in the years their children were born: 2000, 2003 and 2005.

Payment is due within 30 days of the decision, although the couple are entitled to apply for an administrative review within 60 days or seek a court appeal within three months.

The fine would be spent on public services and social programmes, the statement added.

Initial media reports on the case suggested Zhang could face fines of as much as 160m yuan, although it is unclear how they calculated his income.

In an interview with Xinhua in December, Zhang said he had been wrong. He added: "For me and my parents, we wish to have more children as in traditional views, they could bring more happiness."

The Chinese government announced recently that couples would be able to have a second child if one of the parents was an only child. Previous exemptions cover ethnic minorities, rural families whose first child is a girl, and couples who are both only children.

Mint condition: countries tipped as the next economic powerhouses

Forget the Brics and the Civets, Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey are the new kids on the bloc according to economists

A Nigerian man at a Porsche dealership in Lagos. Nigeria is aiming to become Africa's economic hub. Photograph: Reuters

First it was the Brics. For a while the Civets were in vogue. Now the Mints are the ones to watch. Confused? Well, once you know your acronyms it all becomes clear.

The Brics are Brazil, Russia, India and China – four emerging economies lumped together in 2001 by Jim O'Neill, then at Goldman Sachs, to show that western investors needed to take notice of what was happening in the post-cold war global economy.

Robert Ward, of the Economist Intelligence Unit, linked Colombia,Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt and Turkey but the Civets never really took off. Now O'Neill is championing the Mints, a name first coined by the fund managers Fidelity, for what he thinks will be the second generation of emerging market pace-setters: Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey.

The Mints share some common features. They all have big and growing populations with plentiful supplies of young workers. That should help them grow fast when ageing and shrinking populations will lead inexorably to slower growth rates in many developed countries (and China) over the coming decades.

And they are nicely placed geographically to take advantage of large markets nearby, with Indonesia close to China, Turkey on the edge of the European Union and Mexico on America's doorstep.

Nigeria's geographical advantages are less immediately obvious, although it does have the potential to become the hub of Africa's economy at a time when the continent is enjoying a sustained period of strong expansion.

Strong growth in Asia has pushed up demand for the fuel and raw materials needed for industrialisation and three of the Mints – Mexico, Indonesia and Nigeria – are leading commodity producers. Of the four, only Nigeria is not already a member of the G20 group of developed and developing countries.

Even so, financial markets are wary about treating what is actually a disparate group of countries as a bloc. If the Brics are now a bit old hat, it is in part because their reputations are a little tarnished.

Guardian website unblocked in China after users reported access was denied

Service returns to normal without explanation for reported access problems over previous two days

Internet users in Beijing. Photograph: Gou Yige/AFP/Getty Images

Access to the Guardian website in China appeared to have been restored on Thursday afternoon, after users reported it partially blockedthe previous day.

The website greatfire.org, which tracks censorship, said the Guardian had first become inaccessible on Tuesday and multiple attempts to access the site from various browsers, devices and locations in China had failed, though some users said they had managed to reach it. The Guardian mobile and iPad apps appeared unaffected by the problems.

The service appeared to be back to normal on Thursday. Chinese authorities prevent access to numerous overseas websites and services – including internet giants such as Facebook and Twitter – but do not comment on individual cases, still less give reasons for their decisions.

Foreign media have also been subject to restrictions. Bloomberg and the New York Times have been blocked since 2012, when they published reports on the wealth of relatives of senior leaders, while the Chinese-language sites of Reuters and the Wall Street Journal became inaccessible in November, but were unblocked a month later.

Asked about the inaccessibility of the Guardian at a regular news briefing on Wednesday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: "I don't understand the situation. You can inquire with China's relevant department.”