Formal Training and Education
2004 / Post-graduate certificate, Interactive Art and Entertainment Program, The Canadian Film Center’s Habitat New Media Lab, Toronto, Canada
2001 / Courses towards a master’s degree in New Media, Academy of Art College, San Francisco
1996 / Bachelors degree in Graphic Design, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan
Residencies
2019 / Labverde, Artist in Residency, Manus, Brazil.
2019 / International Artist in Residence, Pioneer Cement Residency III, Jouharabad, Khushab, Pakistan.
2014 / International Artist in Residence, Parramatta Artist Studios, Sydney, Australia
2013 / Artist in Residence program, e|Galley UTM (University of Toronto Mississauga)
2012 / Roots and Branches, Artists in the community- Working in collaboration with AGM (Art Gallery of Mississauga) and Mississauga City Library on the project MyCityStories.
2011 / 4 week mentoring residency at Livid Inc. San Jose, for the project ‘Titra’
2008 / BNMI Self Directed Residency, Banff New Media Institute, Banff Center, Canada
2007 / Luminal Screen Co-Production, Banff New Media Institute, participant in a 4week co-production residency for the project “Into it!”
2006 / Almost Perfect Lab, Banff New Media Institute, Banff Centre – Participant in the co- production workshop.
2004 / Interactive Project Lab, a 6-week business development workshop at CFC Media Lab
Research
2020 / Element
A research-based project in collaboration with the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital(OTMH) and its Arts Council. Element draws connections between art, nature, health, and technology to fosters engagement, interconnectivity, a sense of community and care.
2019/ Seek
2022 An ongoing project, exploring ways to work with research based datasets to develop playful and meaningful engagements helping scientists to create new methods of dissemination of information for various audience. Collaboration with Behavior and Conservation Lab, Department Biological Sciences. University of Manitoba & Department of Biodiversidade (COBIO) eColecoes Zoologicas, Aves INPA, Brazil.
2013 +City
Funded by SSHRC Insight Development grant, +City developed and launched a beta archiving and analytical tool.
2007 Into it!
Interactive educational and learning media/tools for able / disable kids. This research was part of the CulturAll program- Selected under the Artist as Innovators category, for research for kids with multiple disabilities. (CFC Media Lab, Banff Centre, University of Toronto’s Adaptive Technology)
Selected Independent Projects
2020 The artist is Live
Presented in a group show The Trojan Donkey, created by Amin Gulgee, Adam Fahy-Majeed and Sara Vaqar Pagganwala in Karachi. Inspired by the iconic performance ‘The artist is present’ by Marina Abramovic, the artist Faisal Anwar is presenting ‘The artist is Live’ a silent performance to inviting online visitors to observe him with hundreds of live mobile and desktop steaming cameras, devices on an open platform.
2020 WORDMapMind
Presented in a group show If These Walls Could Talk, created by Amin Gulgee, Adam Fahy-Majeed and Sara Vaqar Pagganwala in Karachi. WordMapMind is a video work inspired by the works of the American artist Jenny Holzer, who is known for her text-based projections, which took advantage of what was then new technology in the 80s to broadcast her messages to a wide audience. Using direct language, and often juxtaposing phrases, she forces the public to confront societal issues.
2019 CharBagh
Presented at the exhibition, Garden in the Machine, Surrey Art Gallery, Vancouver. CharBagh uses social media to generate a digital garden mapped on the Persian-style Islamic garden known as char bagh(four gardens). The artwork grows out of workshops with Surrey residents responding to questions on sustainable food production, climate change and nature.
2018 Tracing Cities 1: Karachi
A multi media, solo exhibition at Canvas Gallery Karachi
2017 En(Light)
A large-scale outdoor sculpture, crafted out of laser-cut corten, galvanized powder coated mild steel sheets, with dynamically-controlled 10,000 LED lighting. En(light) is placed at Telenor Pakistan’s head office in Islamabad.
2017 I see my streets
Presented at the 1st Karachi Biennale at the Sadequain Art Gallery, Frere Hall. I see my streets is a new media installation driven by youth and community participation
2017 Canada Wish 150
Presented with TakingITGlobal on Canada’s 150th anniversary. A projection based interactive installation created with the collected wishes from across the country. The wishes were collected through online submissions on the Explore150 platform, using social media.
2016 Sensory City
Presented on the facade of the Aga Khan Museum Toronto and inside the Ismaili Centre, as part of Nuit Blanche 2016. Curated by Zulifkar Hirji, Charbagh is a new media installation working with open data and investigate today’s sociopolitical terrxitories.
2015-16 Up in the Sky High
Presented at Artscape Wychwood Barns, during Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, curated by Che Kothari. Large clusters of white eco-friendly balloons suspend in the space with photo memories, from the archives of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, hanging below, allowing viewers to navigate through the still memories and the delicate sounds of movement.
2013-2015 TweetGarden
Presented at Art Gallery of Mississauga (Sep.2014 to Jan.2015), No Vacancy, Burlington (Sep. 2014), Royal Ontario Museum (May to July,2013), Defining Moments National Project, Canada, (Jan to March, 2013) and Scotiabank Nuit Blanche (2013).Tweetgarden is a real-time, interactive installation that engages the spaces of human interaction in public and private environments. This project is a hybrid Web/Social Art conceived with tweeter narrative, exploring networks between multiple locations and time-zones.
2009-on going City Narratives/ MyCityStories
(formerly known as 360EXtEndEd). Web based project with a real-time, site-specific installation at the Toronto City Hall presented as part of City of Toronto 175th Anniversary celebration at the Nathan Phillips Square. A community based, multi-platform project, which explores a city’s evolution.
2008-2010 Odd Spaces
Site- specific, real-time video installation based on locative media and public interventions. Presented at Socia Bank Nuit Blanche, Toronto, partners with Vasl artists’ collective, Pakistan, CodeLive, Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver, and Britto arts collective, Bangladesh,co-presented by the Canadian Film Centre. Also presented at the exhibition ‘Six Degrees of Separation: Chaos, Congruence & Collaboration’ 2008, curated by; KHOJ, International Artists’ Association in Delhi, India, VASL artists’ collective, Pakistan , THEERTHA Arts Collective in Sri Lanka, BRITTO Arts Trust in Bangladesh and SUTRA Arts’ Trust in Nepal.
Select Collaborative Projects
2011-2013 +City
Funded by SSHRC Insight Development grant, +City is an advanced creative/artistic and analytical application that tracks, visualize and archive content generated via social media platforms. Co- conceived and created with Siobhan O’Flynn. Presented a real-time interactive installation at Nuit- Blanche Toronto in partners with Second City – 2012
2009 STIR
A Multimedia performance, presented at MIST theater, U of T Mississauga Campus with Blackwood gallery. Collaboration with Castellanos brothers and Sampradaya Dance Company
2008 XIBALBA
Interactive Installation presented at the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Toronto 2008. Co-conceived with Ulysses Castellanos. XIBALBA is an interactive sculpture/installation consisting of two cubic structures that glows and pulsate in increasing increments depending on the viewer’s proximity to each structure.
2008 Safe Mapping AKA They Are Watching!
A collaborative Real-time webcam stream and performance presented in partnership with Loading Open Lab in Bucharest, Romania. Collaborating artists: Theo Pelmus (Ottawa), Ulysses Castellanos (Toronto), Faisal Anwar (Toronto) and Loading Open LAB (Romania)
2007-2009 Zero Cluster: Deportation
A site specific film and video installation presented at the AGO Youth Festival (Toronto) 2009, MAI (Montreal) 2007, Hot& Spice festival at Harborfront (Toronto)2007, International Performing Arts Festival (Lahore, Pakistan) 2007. In collaboration with Toronto based collective of musicians, LAL. A multi-arts installation using hybrid technologies, live music performance and real-time video/film with multi-layer projection experience.
2006-2007 Double Date
An interdisciplinary sight, sound, performance project, based on the tradition of tableaux vivant directed by artist Tazeen Qayyum. Performed at AKA Gallery Saskatoon (2006 ) and Lennox Contemporary Gallery Toronto(2007) Presented by SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Center), Toronto and AKA Gallery, Saskatoon.
2005-2008 Diplomatic Immunities
An interactive performance directed by Darren O’Donnell, produced by Mammalian Diving Reflex. Performed at Buddies in Bad Times theater 2007, Playright festival, Calgery, 2006, International Performing Arts Festival, Lahore, Pakistan 2007. Presenting encounters between a company of research artists and the inhabitants of a city.
2004 – 2005 Into it!
A 3-Dimensional Interactive story/game Installation for kids with multiple disabilities and otherwise providing an immersive experience from animals’ perspective. Prototypes created with the support of CFC media Lab, Toronto and Banff New Media Center. Presented at Lennox Contemporary, Gallery, Toronto.
Independent Short Films and Videos
‘Walking Spirits’, 2009, duration; 5min. Screened at: Ctrl+ Alt + Del, 2009 curated by Amit Kumar Jain, at Stainless Gallery, New Delhi, India, Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF)- 2009
‘I MISS PAKISTAN’, 2009, duration; 6min. Screened at: Sohni Dharti II, 2009 at Karachi Arts Council, Pakistan, Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF) 2009
‘Mozart in Lahore’ , 2009, duration; 3min. Screened at: shortsnonstop.com 2009
‘City Revenge’ , 2008, duration: 1min. Screened at: Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF), 2008
‘Clifton to Saddar’, 2006, duration: 1min. Screened at: ‘Monitor 3: Contemporary South Asian Film and
Video’ 2007, at Innis Town Hall, Toronto, Pollution, 2007 at INTERart, aluCine -Toronto Latin Festival 2007, shortsnonstop.com 2007
‘Gurriya’ , 2005, duration: 3min 8sec. Screened at: ‘Bollywood Chat’ presented by SAVAC at Design Exchange, Toronto 2005
‘ID. Check’, 2003, duration 2 min. Exhibited at: ‘Bolly>Lolly>Holly>Tolly’ a SAVAC exhibition at Harborfront Center Toronto 2003
‘It’s as simple as that’, 2001, duration: 12min Screened at: ‘Death…It’s Out There’ 2007, curated by Ulysses Castellanos at TPW Gallery Toronto
Awards and Grants
2017 Canada Council for the Arts, Project Grant
2014 Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant
2011-2013 Co-funded, SSHRC Insight Development Grant for the project ‘+City’
2010 Ontario Arts Council, Access and Career development Grant
2009-08 Canada Council Travel grant
2007 ‘Into it!’ selected for Xmedia Lab, Singapore, themed Media aRt&D”
2007 ‘Zero Cluster-Deportation’ nomination at PopVox Awards, creative special effects.
2007 Project Grant – Ontario Arts Council
2006-07 Research grant for ‘Into it!’ selected under the Artist as Innovators category by CulturAll, for research on kids with multiple disabilities. Grant partners; CFC Media Lab, Banff Centre, University of Toronto’s Adaptive Technology
2006 ‘Into it!’ presented for discussion at World Usability Day Conference, Toronto 2003 Scholarship for post-graduate studies at CFC Media Lab
1996 Best Performer of the year, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan
1994 Scholarship to participate in International Design Conference, Karachi, Pakistan
1995-93 Three gold medals for outstanding performances in puppetry by The Puppeteers NCA, Lahore, Pakistan
Affiliation
Mentor, IAEP Alumni mentorship for Interactive art and Entertainment program at CFC Media Lab
Programming Committee member, SAVAC, South Asian Visual Artist Center, 2006-07,
Member, INTERACCESS, Electronic Media Arts Centre, Alumni, CFC Habitat Lab.