Bishwajit Goswami’s installation near Bakkhali River commemorates International Mother Language Day

'Maa-Maati-Manush-Swadesh-Bhasha-Prokkriti (Mother-Earth-People-Homeland-Language-Nature)' is a site-specific installation by Bishwajit Goswami near Bakkhali River at Moheshkhali, in association with Brihatta Art Foundation. Artist and professor Bishwajit Goswami envisions to tell an artistic story rooted in a unique environment, creating an atmosphere for cultural and linguistic exchange. Strengthened by Brihatta's collective spirit, it reminds us to combine the beauty of nature and the human heart and weave new stories. Beside this site-specific project, some other interactive projects are also going on at the space.

Bangladesh is a land filled with people who reflect its diverse geography, from the mountainous hill tracts to the flowing river valleys to the sandy beaches. Our land is a true reflection of the unique people who call it their home. Brihatta Art Foundation hopes to connect the diverse voices of Bangladesh in harmony, linking people and communities. This collective initiative to exchange cultural disciplines, identities and languages through the universality of the motherland and nature, will birth a new enduring story.

Preparations for the project started in Moheshkhali from February 17, 2021.

The roar of the sea lulled by surrounding hills and the flowing rivers create a unique atmosphere in Moheshkhali, the only island in Bangladesh combining all these natural elements. Located in the southern tip of Bangladesh, Moheshkhali is home to the ethnic Rakhine community. Unchanged by the passage of time, this community retains their culture and language, living in harmony with nature. The people of Moheshkhali are strong believers of Buddhism. Their unique cultural ethnicity is rooted in their religious beliefs and in their links with their natural environment.

The preparations for the project started in Moheshkhali from February 17, 2021. The main installation work was completed at midnight on February 21, at the bank of Bakkhali River. People of the Rakhine community and team Brihatta, along with Bishwajit Goswami, were present.