Qila Mubarak to host arts forum from March 3

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 24

The historic Qila Mubarak is all set to host a two-day “Punjab Panorama”, an international contemporary arts forum on March 3 and 4.

The event will bring together international artists, museum directors, musicians, historians and curators. It is being organised in collaboration with several embassies and is supported by the Punjab Government. The participants will be from Greece, Canada, Swiss Arts Council, Goethe Instut, Asia Society etc.

State Tourism and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, at a press conference in Delhi today, said the programme would be marked by panel discussions and presentations that explore Punjab’s culture and history through artifacts, films and architecture, in the framework of “Punjab as Protagonist” and “Hybrid Aesthetics”. It will see the representation of five major world museums (in the UK, the US, Denmark, Greece, Canada), 11 international film artistes, three international performance artistes and three Indian performance artistes. “The event will help unlock the huge untapped tourism potential of Punjab to the world,” said Sidhu. He said the dilapidated fort, constructed in 1763 by Baba Ala Singh, was being refurbished at a cost of Rs 25 crore.

Sarah Singh, founder-director of Panorama Punjab and noted artiste herself, said a major highlight of the programme would be a curated exhibition of international film work by female artistes from around the world.

Mirjam Gelfer, former Deputy Director of Design Museum Denmark, will make a presentation on “Japanese influence on Danish design”. Susan Stronge, senior curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, will give a presentation on “Arts of Punjab”. Dr Elisavet Tsigarida, Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Pella Museum in Greece, will make a presentation on “When the Greeks Met the Indians” which traces the cultural impact and legacy of Alexander.

The event, which is open to all, will conclude on Saturday with a bossa nova zazz concert by a trio from Belgium – the Bossa Brothers. Sunday evening will conclude with classical music that explores the musical connections from Iran to Afghanistan via Punjab and Kashmir.

‘Badals brought state to ruins’

New Delhi: Reacting to SAD chief Sukhbir Badal’s charges against the Congress government, the PPCC on Saturday lambasted the Akalis for allegedly “looting every single resource they could lay their hands on during their decade-long misrule of the state”. Sidhu described the Badals as the “most-corrupt family” in the country, who had led Punjab’s people into an abyss of ruin. PPCC president Sunil Jakhar also alleged that the SAD had become the most corrupt party in the country under the Badals, who had been only interested in filling up their own coffers. tns