Pakistan, July 26 -- Before beginning, it is important to state that I have been a regular visitor to Alhamra Art Center for the past four years. I have attended talks, seminars, and even local Marxist jam sessions. I loved them all, but it is important to ask ourselves whether Alhamra and similar institutions are actually performing the functions they were meant to. Generally speaking, cultural institutions are places designated to preserve culture or subculture. An inclusive platform meant to bring together all classes and weave them into the threads of intersectionality, free of the divisions that usually come with it.

I will argue that the cultural institutions in Pakistan, especially Alhamra, have resorted to surface-level discuss...