Could I have done otherwise?
One may try and hurt a person in the name of faith, while another might try and save the same person for the same reason. The apparent reason of both may look the same but
their action is the result of their mental, environmental, social, cultural, religious, financial and political baggage.
Many among us assume that we are free to make a conscious choice without taking the cause and effect into account, though scientific studies clearly differ with this naïve belief. Human brain is a complex and unpredictable machine, it is triggered by conscious, subconscious, emotional, psychological, physical and non-physical stimulus. Given the situation in hand and the factors in the past affecting the present state of mind to choose, act or behave in a certain manner, the idea of free will sounds
absurd.
Why this notion then?
The idea of free will was probably never introduced to men to choose between the good and the bad. Because if that was the plan, you wouldn’t be rewarded on doing good and punished for bad deeds. Clearly it wants you to choose good over bad. So, you were directed and influenced from the day one to make certain choices. Looks like, this dictated freedom of conscious choice is mistakenly associated with the individual- a poor being which suffers from the emotional and psychological dilemmas heavily caused by the external factors and doings of others. Similarly, the consequences of an individual’s decisions and actions are multifold and affect the lives of many. Since the criteria of good and bad is outlined through the constructed values, moralities, beliefs and laws of societies. Hence, the idea of free will needs to be evaluated in the context of a system, society or civilization.
Yes, one could have done otherwise only if everything else would have happened otherwise!
Current exhibition offers Shahid Hassan Boni’s investigation of the mental state of a being and Hooria Khan’s reflections on the
actions of a being in a given situation. Both pose the open-ended questions on the power and limitation of conscious choice.
Shahid Hassan Boni
Shahid Hassan Boni is a visual artist based in Hunza Valley, Pakistan. He graduated with a distinction from the National College of Arts, Lahore in 2021, specializing in Indo-
Persian Miniature Painting. His paintings embrace elements from Persian and Mughal miniature paintings. The compositions in his works are thoughtfully painted as a reflection of his evolving psychological state. In his paintings, architectural spaces are juxtaposed with dense foliage which represent emptiness and isolation whereas the foliage depicts a deep connection with nature and one’s inner self.
Through his work, Boni explores the state of displacement and how the environment has an impact on an individual’s mental state and behavior. Boni has been a part of several projects including working as an Art Director for an International Feature Film ‘Yasmeen’ (2022) and conducted Art and Design workshops at Hashoo Foundation. He also gave Art workshops in Chitral while teaching as an Art teacher with Youth Assisting Youth (YAY).
Boni has done several group shows including; Spaces of Inquiry at Full Circle Gallery (2022), Stars of Tomorrow at Pakistan Art Forum (2022), Dar Aamad at O Art Space (2022), Eternal Ephemeral at Full Circle Gallery (2021), Broadcast Vol. 1 at O Art Space (2021), Third Space: Room 1 at Khamsa Art (2021) and Degree Show at National College of Arts (2021).
Hooria Khan
Hooria Khan, a visual artist, was born in Rahim Yar Khan in 1996 and has since established her artistic career in Lahore. Graduating with distinction from the National College of
Arts in Lahore in 2021, Hooria has specialised in Miniature Painting, while also holding minors in taxidermy, calligraphy, and photography. During her studies, she was recognized with consecutive merit awards at NCA. Hooria has participated in several exhibitions and projects, including the Maktab project under the guidance of internationally acclaimed artist Imran Qureshi, and Pakistan’s pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 with renowned artist Akif Suri.
Hooria’s artistic vision centres on exploring the ritualistic stereotypes embedded in our society. Her work emphasises the blending and juxtaposition of organic and inorganic elements, highlighting the anomalies hiding in plain sight. Hooria has showcased her artwork in multiple group exhibitions, including Broadcast II and Dar Amad at O art Space Lahore, The New Odyssey at PNCA Islamabad, ,Eternal Ephemeral at Full Circle Gallery Karachi, Before the End of Time at Canvas Gallery , A Voyage at Satrang Gallery, Islamabad, FireFly Dreams at Muse Art Gallery Lahore and Liminal Spaces at Dastaangoi Gallery Islamabad.
