Reem Khurshid: Long Time Artist Finally Shows Work
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010Karachi: 15 February 2010
Reem Khurshid has an avid fan following online and has several cool feathers tucked into her artistic hat, including album art for local band, Mole. Reem Khurshid is very young and very talented. And she paints. That is probably all one needs to say about her – if one sees her work, the statement will make sense enough to stand on its own. But then that would be unfair to someone who has managed to show her work solo while still pursuing an education.
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Our society is politically gridlocked, says Sophiya Khwaja, a Rawalpindi-based artist, whose latest works, “Forced Gridlock” opened at Faraar, the Second Floor (T2F) Friday evening. Her paintings, a contemporary mix of her print making, training, draughtsmanship, and miniatures, presented a dialogue on how people, while living in their limited bubbles, at some point or another, are affected by other social spheres …
I was never very good at Physics and Geography. My favourite subjects were Maths, Chemistry, History and English, and because I found these subjects interesting, I was good at them. I think I would have enjoyed Physics and Geography too but for the teachers I had, who were never able to bring the subjects to life for me.
In a seeming challenge to those working in Pakistan’s media, Karachi’s, ‘The Second Floor’ cafe offered up a screening of, ‘Network’ – a 1970’s classic which offers a satirical glimpse into the dark, unseen fantasy world of those who run prime time news in the U.S.
Despite the hostilities, it speaks for the changing times that Peer was able to recently visit Pakistan, staying with Saad Haroon, a satirist he had met in New York (got the visa because a Pakistani diplomat liked his book). Friends hooked him up with Sabeen Mahmud who runs The Second Floor …
There are few people, online or otherwise, who would have not heard about Sabeen Mahmud and The Second Floor. And the reason I can say that so confidently is because Sabeen not only preached New Media and online promotional marketing, but practiced it. Probably the person to have had the longest, most prolific career in New Media, well before the concept even existed, she came across the Apple computer and it hasn’t stopped making her heart go bump. Here’s an amazing story of how Sabeen powers T2F, the brick and mortar café, through the power of the click.
Is the human spiritual experience a result of the interaction of chemicals and electric impulses in the brain? Can such experiences be artificially simulated? Controversial questions such as these were raised at The Second Floor Cafe following a viewing of the BBC documentary, ‘God on the Brain’.
Tariq Mirza, aka the Sooji ka Halwa guy, has a huge following in Pakistan. Last year, Tee-M did a variety of concerts all over Pakistan and formulated a cult fan-club. A packed house at T2F was the kick off show for Tee-M’s Facebook Extravaganza Tour of Pakistan.
It’s a clear sign – that Karachiites are absolutely starved for entertainment – when what felt like a mad crush of 300 people are squeezed into the cozy space at The Second Floor for Open Mic Night. The revival of the event (which has seen great stand up comedy acts and musical performances in the past) saw over a dozen acts performing in the space of two and a half hours. And it was a perfect dose of musical styles, genres and comedy.
Pedro Meyer’s Heresies is a retrospective comprising four decades of groundbreaking work by one of the world’s most innovative photographers. T2F is proud to be part of the Heresies exhibition – opening simultaneously in 60 museums worldwide in October 2008. 
I see people my age very integrated both socially and engaged in purposeful projects. T2F is one example. A social entrepreneurship project it is working on intellectual poverty allevation by providing a community space for dialogue, exposure to art, and the plain and simple hanging out with like minded folks. For those Pakistanis looking for more exposure to culture, art, and discussion this is a great group. Through it I have learned about the Pakistani theater for social change scene in a language I understand. Also for the first time in my life I have heard about the oppression of Zia’s islamicised laws on Pakistani soil as opposed to just reading factual reporting in papers.
Hawra’s work exhibited on the walls of The Second Floor from October 5 to October 15, tells you whatever you want it to say, neither forcing you into a conversation nor bogging you down with mindless chitchat. It eases you in, lets you initiate the conversation, lets you get comfortable, so comfortable that you can talk to it for hours on end. 
Leading up to Ajoka Theatre’s mini festival in Karachi, T2F hosted Madeeha Gauhar, Shahid Nadeem, Sheema Kermani, Sania Saeed, and Savera Nadeem.
On 17th August 2008, the Saneeya Hussain Foundation, T2F and Shehri presented The Green Dream, Environmental Journalism in Pakistan: A Tribute to Saneeya Hussain, Ameneh Azam Ali and Zulekha Ali at The Second Floor (T2F). This commemorative meeting and roundtable discussion on environmental issues concluded the Saneeya Hussain Week, August 11-17, 2008. Friends and colleagues of three pioneering environmental journalists gathered to talk about their work and experiences in this field, where environmental journalism in Pakistan stands today and ‘the way ahead’. 
In July, T2F hosted a ground-breaking event featuring Shubha Mudgal and the Farid Ayaz Qavaal Party. Shubha Mudgal, Aneesh Pradhan, Murad Ali, and Sudhir Nayak performed in Delhi, and Farid Ayaz, Abu Mohammad and their team performed live at T2F in Karachi. The phenomenal collaboration was made possible through Skype, high-speed broadband, and a few crazy (in a good way) individuals, passionate about music and technology. 