As a part of the ‘Open Heritage Week 2019’, the exhibition, Tales of the Old Dhaka, featuring Old Dhaka themed artworks by the art group Joloj, was inaugurated at Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) in Dhanmondi, recently. The exhibition is organised by the European Union National Institutes for Culture (consisting of AFD, British Council Bangladesh, and Goethe-Institute Bangladesh), EU Delegation, Embassy of Spain, Dhaka South City Corporation, Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA) and Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB).

Olivier Dintinger, Director of AFD, welcomed the guests with his speech. “The Open Heritage Week is a project to raise public awareness on the importance of heritage. Old Dhaka is a soulful city and a witness to historic eras. It would be a shame if people were to lose such a city,” he said.   

Photos: Monon muntaka

Aiming to raise awareness in preserving local heritage sites of the city, the exhibition showcases artworks by Al-Akhir Sarker, Biplop Chakroborty, Golam Mosiur Rahman Chowdhury, Md Azmal Uddin, Sadek Ahmed, and Shaymal Bishwas.  

“The architectural sights of Old Dhaka, especially the old buildings, are on the verge of ruin. People have no regard in preserving their old designs. This exhibition is an attempt to show the beauty of our cultural heritage sites, including the Ruplal House, Beauty Boarding and Armenian Church, among others, to raise awareness on this issue,” said Shyamal Biswas, an artist from Joloj. They plan to work on the issue of deforestation and industrialisation in the Sundarbans in the near future, he mentioned.   

Mesmerising artworks in watercolour, depicting the crowded bustle of the Bk Das road, the serene beauty of the Ruplal House and the mystery of Laxmibazar at dusk, among other such scenes, are currently on display on the walls of AFD. The exhibition is open to all till December 18.