FOMMA Trust

Successor organization of Fomma (Foundation for Museum of Modern Art), the Fomma Trust is an Independent Charitable Trust, registered as a Non- Profit Organization at the Office of the Sub-Registrar, Karachi (R. No. 404, dated 26 November 2009). Its National Tax No is 3418951.

Objectives

The objectives of the Fomma Trust are, among others, "To promote the study and intelligent appreciation of art and architecture, in the contemporary manifestations as well as in a wider historical context". Its aims include the setting up of Museums of Modern and Contemporary Art and Art Libraries.

Approval U/S 2(36)C

Fomma Trust has received Federal Board of Revenue's approval until 31 December 2010 u/s 2(36)C of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 read with Rule 212 and 220 of the Income Tax Rules 2002. This entitles the donors to "tax credit in their assessment as per rate prescribed in Section 61 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001".

Administrative Structure

The Fomma Trust is administered by its own Board of Trustees, and has supportive cadres of its Patrons, Benefactors, Contributing Friends, Event/Project Sponsors, and Executives. Key officials work in an honorary capacity, and include the Honorary Secretary & Director General, the Joint Secretary & Director of the Audio-Visual Unit, the Director of the Fomma-DHA Art Centre, the Director of the Art History Project, the Director of Publications, and Honorary Reps in Dubai, New York and Chicago. Rep Offices are also being set up in Lahore and London.

Reference & Documentation

Among projects being currently developed by the Fomma Trust is the Visual Arts Database (VAD), comprising a selection of Press clippings on Pakistan art and artists bequeathed by the late Syed Ali Imam. Largely covering the last three decades of the 20th century, this archival material is a most valuable reference resource. It is being supplemented by additional Press clippings, catalogues and brochures received from various sources, including Mr Wahab Jaffer, the late Mr Sultan Ahmed, Mr & Mrs Suhail Lari, and a number of practising artists, art galleries and art collectors. The aim is to document the evolution of the contemporary art movement in Pakistan. It is also proposed to put together related material on the contemporary art scene in some of the other countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

Electronic Retrieval

It has since been possible - thanks to initial advice from Mr Farhad A Fatakia, and subsequent technical collaboration with Messers Business Integrations - to scan and digitize the available Press clippings in the Ali Imam Collection in order to facilitate the search function. Work has been completed to produce an initial set of app 300 CD's about individual artists of Pakistan comprising the above material. This would be suitably supplemented by additional data obtained from artists, art institutions and members of the art community.

Islamic World Art Archives

The Fomma Trust has available, for purposes of reference and research, some of the archival material from the London journal "Arts & the Islamic World", including a complete set of all 36 volumes published over 18 years from its inception in 1983 until it ceased publication in 2001. Also under discussion with a corporate sponsor in Dubai is an archival project concerning the evolution of the contemporary art scene in the United Arab Emirates since its inception in 1971.

Marketing of Art Books & Journals

Over the years of developing an art publishing programme, it has been possible to create a hard core of art book buyers in the country. Apart from marketing Fomma's own art titles produced from time to time, the Fomma Trust is now in a position to offer - through its "ARTS PLUS" Book Club - a selection of art books and journals produced in some of the other countries. The Arts Plus Book Club aims at negotiating bulk discounts with leading art publishers, and would share part of these discounts with its members.

Collaborative Projects with DHA/RCG

The Fomma Trust has available a historic building in the Zamzama Park (DHA-5, Karachi), allocated to Fomma by DHA, which houses the Fomma- DHA Art Centre (FDAC). It has also been allocated two historic 19th century colonial buildings in Karachi - likely to be available around 2013 - on the periphery of the upcoming 110-acre Race Course Gardens (RCG) Project Pending their availability and much-needed restoration, the Fomma Trust has access to a temporary structure on MacNeil Road built by Fomma on rent-free land (app 1,500 sq yds) made available by the RCG authorities. It has modest spaces for an Auditorium, a Projection Room, a Lecture Room, an Archival Room, an Art Library and offices. Currently it houses the Fomma Trust's Art History & Documentation Centre (AHDC).

Other Activities

Among other activities of the Fomma Trust are group discussion meetings and art talks under the Fomma Trust Roundtable (FTR). It has recently initiated a series of Art Appreciation Courses. The first was a 2-day workshop entitled "The Evolution of Contemporary Art", followed by a 10-week course entitled "Experiencing Art". Possibilities are also being explored to set up the Pakistan equivalent of what is already in place in a number of countries: the Art Loss Register (ALR). The aim would be to record and document known works of contemporary Pakistani artists with the help of the artists themselves as well as various art galleries, art critics and art collectors etc, in order to trace art loss/theft and identify fakes and forgeries as far as possible.