W11 TRAM PROJECT RETURNED TO KARACHI ... FILM SCREENING + EXHIBITION
On a recent September Sunday evening the story of the W-11 TRAM collaborative art project returned to Karachi. An open-air public screening on a half-closed major road at North Karachi's Allah Walli showed a documentary film by Wajid Ali and a video artwork by Mick Douglas, all while the W-11 mini-buses continued to ply the road alongside into the night. A co-inciding exhibition was held at VM Gallery, Rangoonwala Community Centre in Karachi, and was extended for two months due to demand.
Allah Walli terminus at the end of the W-11 mini-bus route is a humming community of W-11 industry - decorators, repairers, owners, drivers, conductors - and the community who are passengers of the service. They turned out in droves for the free street screening, opened by Naib Nazim (deptuy Major) of Karachi, with W-11 FM famed Saleem Alfedi as MC. They roared, taken aback and elsewhere, affirmed and transported to see their decorative world in its Melbournian manifestation.
Lead chamak patti wallah (decorator) for the W-11 TRAM Nusrat Iqbal marks the other-worldy connections of his work with a simple sign on his Alli Walli workshop: W-11 Karachi 2 Melbourne. He displays no images of his work on vehicles though, as he thinks showing examples only limits his clients willingness to take a risk with the decoration for a new job. He wants to to be invested with his clients trust.
Chamak patti wallahs Nadeem and Safdar now enjoy mobile connections and a thriving new decoration business from the recognition of their work in Pakistan.
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right_columnHAVE W-11 TRAM, CAN TRAVEL
Melbourne travelers have been asking ‘where is the W-11 Tram?’ It is taking rest. Last Melbourne summer twenty pairs of strangers met to have an 'overheard' conversation whilst traveling a lap of the city; twenty different groups of artists led an 'overboard' improvised performance journey for a lap of the city; 20,000 souvenir artwork tickets were gifted; and over 40,000 passengers ‘otherwise’ encountered one another in a uniquely disarming and free public setting whilst onboard hosts from Karachi and Melbourne broke the ice of public inhibitions, cajoling strangers to share a bit of themselves. And yes, the most unlikely assemblages of people can spontaneously combust into dancing together on the W-11 Tram.
Stephen Muecke, Professor of Cultural Studies and one of the invited guests on Tram Overheard, has written a forthcoming book chapter about his experience aboard. The Victorian Multicultural Commission is applauding the project in its recent vol 21 publication. The City of Karachi has given Mick the city plaque (in Melbourne you'd say 'the keys to the city') in commendation of the project. Discussions are afoot about the project being undertaken in other cities in South Asia and Europe, and a radio piece being developed from the recordings of last summer.
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right_columnKarachi 2 Melbourne
45min documentary about the making of the W-11 Tram by Pakistani minibus decorators.
Documentary filmed and directed by Vajid Ali.
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right_columnLove Is Life (Piyar Zindagi Hai)
First season for Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. Video by Mick Douglas.
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right_columnARCHIVE OF MELBOURNE SEASONS:
> Summer 2006-2007
> Commonwealth Games 2006
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