Lahore’s contemporary art scene came alive on October 3 with the grand opening of Becoming/Unbecoming at Dot Gulberg, bringing together 152 emerging artists from across Pakistan in one of the city’s most expansive showcases of new artistic voices.
Presented by Cosmopolitan Art x Dot and curated by Mahaa Malik and Maham Malik, the exhibition is built around ideas of identity, transformation, growth, memory, attachment, release and the tension between constructing and shedding versions of the self. Rather than asking artists to conform to one visual language, the curatorial approach allows different interpretations of ‘becoming’ and ‘unbecoming’ to sit beside one another, creating a layered conversation between personal experience and collective change.
For curator Mahaa Malik, the vision behind the exhibition is rooted in creating access, visibility and serious presentation opportunities for emerging artists. Her curatorial direction places established exhibition standards alongside openness to younger and less represented practices, allowing artists from different cities, educational backgrounds and stages of development to share the same platform. The aim is not simply to fill walls, but to build a space where emerging work can be seen, discussed and encountered on its own terms.
The exhibition presents a wide range of practices, including oil and acrylic painting, watercolour, gouache, drawing, mixed media, print-based work, digital art, photography, sculpture, installation and experimental contemporary pieces. Figurative and narrative works appear alongside abstraction and conceptual approaches, while works on paper, sculptural forms and material-led experiments extend the experience beyond conventional painting. Themes across the exhibition include femininity, memory, belonging, emotional states, relationships, isolation, social expectations and the shifting idea of self.
The grand opening was attended by internationally recognised contemporary artist Rashid Rana as Guest of Honor. Known for a multidisciplinary practice spanning digital work, painting, stainless-steel sculpture, video installation, photo-sculpture and photo mosaics, Rana’s presence gave participating artists the opportunity to engage with one of Pakistan’s most significant contemporary art figures. His participation also underscored the exhibition’s focus on connecting emerging practitioners with the wider contemporary art landscape.
More than a collective display, Becoming/Unbecoming positions emerging practice as an active part of Pakistan’s evolving cultural landscape. By bringing a large and varied group of artists into a shared curatorial framework, the exhibition highlights the breadth of experimentation taking place across the country while making room for individual stories and distinct visual languages.
The exhibition remains on display at Dot Gulberg, Lahore, until November 3, offering audiences the opportunity to experience a broad cross-section of emerging contemporary art from across Pakistan.