M. M. ALAM
ISLAMABAD: H. E. Mrs. Martine Dorance, Ambassador of France, while talking to this scribe at the Embassy this morning has appreciated the use of art to reform prisoners.
Madame Dorance has been briefed by this scribe about support of consequent Consul Generals of France (Monsieur Pierre Seillan, Monsieur Christien Ramage and Monsieur François Dall’Orso) along with director (s) of Alliance Française de Karachi (presently) Monsieur Jean-François Chénin and others.
French Envoy Madame Dorance, while observing that over last nine years heads of the French diplomatic and cultural posts in Karachi have helped in organizing three expositions of the works of prisoners at Alliance Française de Karachi, opined the same should be replicated by the Embassy of France in Islamabad.
FLOW OF EVENTS:
1) Back in 2007, on the request of Central Prisons Karachi’s jailer, this scribe managed to find and introduce an artist from Larkana to the jail.
2) After one year of edification when the first exposition of prisoners’ paintings was held in Karachi Prisons, this scribe took with him the then Consul General of France Monsieur Pierre Seillan to the jail.
3) Noting that very few buyers turned up at the jail expo, Pierre Seillan announced that he would hold a two-day exposition at Alliance Française de Karachi.
4) At that first exposition of the Imprisonistic Art held at Alliance Française de Karachi over 100 chefs-d’œuvre were sold and the money thus obtained was handed-over by Pierre Seillan to the prisoners.
FIRST EXPOSITION 
KARACHI: Former Consul General of France Monsieur Pierre Seillan seen handing over the cheque to Nusrat Hussain Mangan.
5) Second exposition at Alliance Française de Karachi was held with the support of Monsieur Christien Ramage. He too handed over the money got through the sales of paintings to the incarcerated ‘Imprisonistic Artists’.
SECOND EXPOSITION 
KARACHI: Former Consul General of France Monsieur Christian Ramage (C) seen handing over the cheque to Inspector General Prisons.
6) Third exposition at Alliance Française de Karachi was held with the support of the present Consul General Monsieur François Dall’Orso and present director of Alliance Française de Karachi Monsieur Jean-François Chénin. Again they went with this scribe to the jail to handover the resulting amount to the imprisoned talents!
THIRD EXPOSITION
KARACHI: Consul General of France Monsieur Francois Dall’Orso (C) seen handing over the cheque to Inspector General Prisons.
7) The fourth such exhibition is scheduled to be opened by Consul General of France Monsieur François Dall’Orso on 8th of July, 2017 in the main Art Gallery of Alliance Française.
8) The same pieces of art by the prisoners will be exposed at the main venue where national day of France will be hosted by Monsieur François Dall’Orso on 14th of July, 2017.
The works will be displayed on 14th of July at the Bastille Day Reception.
9) The event is being organized by the NewsPakistan.TV (Official Partners of BBC) with the all-out & over-whelming support of the director of Alliance Française de Karachi Monsieur Jean-François Chénin.
10) July 8-15th expo will the 4th such exposition. PROCEEDS FROM THE SALES OF PAINTINGS WILL GO TO THE ‘IMPRISONISTIC’ ARTISTS.
RELEVANT PIECE PUBLISHED EARLIER
(VIDEO AND TEXT) Imprisonistic Art: Consul General of France to open 4th week-long exposition of paintings by prisoners on 8th July at AFK!
Inspector General Prisons snapped with the former Consul General of France Christian Ramage on the occasion of the 2nd exposition of prisoners work at AFK.
