Arts
ESSAY / Music and the space it creates for literature
I cannot, for the life of me, definitively describe what makes music. Growing up in a family where music of any form was not typically paid any reverence, my exposure to it was tunnelled into mainstream pop songs for the longest time.
Naeem Mohaiemen discusses ‘Midnight’s Third Child’ at ULAB and Bengal Institute
Naeem Mohaiemen called the book and its selections, which comprise fairly short essays and editorials on contemporary matters, “an argument for somehow recording all that seems ephemeral, so we can then look back and trace what was happening.”
Dhaka Art Summit for young visitors
Animation, games and performances your children shouldn't miss on the last day of DAS 2023 today
These folk tales record a unique past between South Asia and Soviet Russia
The Slavic fairy tales and Soviet stories formed a significant part of the childhood memories of people who grew up in the subcontinent from the 1960s to the mid 1980s.
The books you will meet at Dhaka Art Summit 2023
For those who are especially interested in literature in book form, the first two floors of the exhibition hold treasures.
Revisiting indigenous folktales at Dhaka Art Summit
“We wanted to share the story in our native language, just the way we heard it from our elders", said Kanak Chanpa Chakma.
BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / Andy Warhol & Truman Capote talk out their anxieties
Andy Warhol suggested they tape their conversations on his Sony Walkman, to which Truman Capote agrees.
Himu taught me it was okay to not be normal
Himu not only made me look beyond goals that lead to a luxury of life, but he also taught me to enjoy the tiny bits that make life agreeable.
‘Anatomies of Tongues’ explored in ‘Chobi Mela Shunno’
While the world celebrates International Mother Language Day, the special edition of Chobi Mela, in association with their cultural partner Colomboscope, sets a thought-provoking linguistic intervention through ‘Anatomies of Tongues’.
‘Cheragi Art Show Bhinno’ incorporates contemporary art into modern architecture
Ever since its inception in 2012, Jog Art Space has been working with artistes and viewers to create a space that allows cultural conversations to bloom. By allowing people to interact and connect, it has blended various art forms into a multidisciplinary street art show. Their collective exhibition, entitled "Cheragi Art Show Bhinno'' is currently underway in "Chobi Mela Shunno”, at DrikPath Bhobon, Panthapath.
Wishing Tree: Chobi Mela’s tribute to architect Bashirul Haq
Noted architect Bashirul Haq passed away in April 2020. He had designed DrikPath Bhobon, the venue for this year’s “Chobi Mela”. “Wishing Tree”, an exhibition featuring Haq’s seminal works, is being hosted at the festival, in honour of him.
Yasmin Jahan Nupur explores the pandemic with ‘Time could not be kept at bay’
"[Off] Limits", a group exhibition currently underway in "Chobi Mela Shunno” at DrikPath Bhobon, features projects by fourteen South Asian artistes. Yasmin Jahan Nupur’s ‘Time could not be kept at bay’ is one of the featured artworks in the exhibition, which includes performance photographs, text display and a video.
Chobi Mela’s ‘Chapakhana Archive’ explores print revolution in Dhaka
In its array of collaborative initiatives, “Chobi Mela Shunno” introduced ‘Chapakhana Archive’, a research project. On the fourth floor of the DrikPath Bhobon, an excerpt of a nine-month project, exploring documents and local histories of print in Dhaka and its production technologies, is on display. The framework of the exhibition comes from Mara Züst’s research for her project, ‘Kolkata — City of Print’, in association with Pathshala.
Go Back to Roots: An exhibition of life in the hill tracts
"Go Back To Roots'', a solo project by artist Joydeb Roaja, is currently on exhibit in "Chobi Mela Shunno'' at DrikPath Bhobon, Panthapath. It features 10 artworks, along with a video, and attempts to highlight the cultural identities of indigenous communities in the hill tracts of Chattogram.
Pappu Studio brings nostalgia to ‘Chobi Mela Shunno’
`cMarking Solidarity Day, students of the ninth batch of Pathshala honoured Ashrafi, also known as the Chobiwala of Bihari Camp Bazaar at “Chobi Mela Shunno''. A temporary studio was set up at the rooftop of DrikPath Bhobon, which not only allowed the audience to interact with the photographer, but also to get soaked in nostalgia. In a candid conversation, Ashrafi shared his story with The Daily Star.
Chobi Mela’s ‘[Off] Limits’ gathers photographers from across borders
“[Off] Limits”, a group exhibition currently underway in “Chobi Mela Shunno” at DrikPath Bhobon, features projects by fourteen South Asian artistes. As a part of the festival’s intention of celebrating and promoting art, the photographs on display focus on life amidst the pandemic, while also looking back at the past to reminiscence over elements that have been forgotten.
Najmun Nahar Keya on her artistic inspirations
Najmun Nahar Keya’s artistic journey began in Old Dhaka, where she grew up in the midst of beautiful architectural wonders and a family that encouraged her creative aspirations. Her artworks exhibit her inclination towards nostalgic memories, associated with archival photographs of her family, architectural beauty, new materials, recent societal and global political events, and personal experiences. Keya co-curated many shows before, but her first ever solo curated show is “Frozen Song”, an exhibition inspired by architect Bashirul Haq, currently underway at “Chobi Mela Shunno”.
Contemporary Dissent – Echoes of the 80’s
In the podcast episode, ‘Contemporary Dissent – Echoes of the 80’s’ by “Chobi Mela Shunno'', Lotte Hoek and Catherine Masud share their experiences, looking back at their journeys in the late 1980’s and early 2000’s in Bangladesh. They talk about the parallels and differences in their journeys.