Watan by Graciela Magnoni curated by Salima Hashmi

Graciela Magnoni a French-Uruguayan photographer began her journey of documenting images during her formative years in Brazil in a local press in 1980s. Her career took root as she documented the return of Latin American democracies following the completion of an MA in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. Widely commissioned for various projects across the Global South, Magnoni has travelled extensively over the last five years capturing images of streets, cultures, local communities, and everyday life. In her own words she describes photography as her passion and as something that provides structure to her life

Her latest project, "Watan," marks her first presentation in the Gulf that began on a poignant note during a visit to Pakistan to immerse the ashes of her parents-in-law. This experience, coupled with their deaths in a distant land, sensitised her to the notions of identity and one's connection to their homeland, to Watan. The focal point of this series revolves around people, community, memory, and the resilience of Punjabis. The series has been compiled into a pictorial book that explores and aims to bridge the vibrant cultures of both eastern and western Punjab. Breaking through the barriers dividing Punjab, the project portrays it as an indivisible homeland. "Watan" was published in 2021 in Singapore and printed in Italy, featuring poetry by eminent Punjabi and Urdu poets such as Amrita Pritam, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ustad Daman, and Gulzar, along with a heartfelt foreword by Salima Hashmi and Gulzar.

With this inaugural solo presentation in the Gulf, we are thrilled to launch aspecial edition of the book, "Watan."