Discussing problematic norms of masculinity through art

"I was raised by a single mother. Dealing with the excruciating pain of losing her first child and years later her beloved husband, my mother who is a social worker, gracefully raised all three of us whilst having all the qualities that are generally associated with what it means to be a man. Does that mean my mother is masculine?" -- said Ashfika Rahman inquired during his opening remarks at the at the inauguration of the exhibition, "Let No One Mistake Us for The Fruit of Violence".

Curated by Vidisha Fadescha, for the exhibition is an excerpt from Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. "Let No One Mistake Us for The Fruit of Violence" is a travelling exhibition as part of Goethe endorsed ongoing project "M3: Man, Male & Masculinity". With their cultural and educational activities, this South-Asian regional project aims to intrigue discussions about problematic norms of masculinity across the gender spectrum in India and Bangladesh.

The installations, consisting of drawings, audio-visuals and photographs of various contexts, all have one thing in common – their individual topic has been derived from the theme of patriarchy. The six participating artists at this exhibition are Tsohil Bhatia, Renuka Rajiv, Sandeep Kuriakose, Anurag Minus Varma, Javed Sultan from India, and Ashfika Rahman from Bangladesh.

With hosts Mormee Mahtab of Goethe Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and Oliur Sun of Drik, the inauguration was held on August 19 at Drik Gallery. Veteran artist Dilara Begum Jolly, indigenous artist Joydeb Roaja, contemporary visual artist Ashfika Rahman, and director of Goethe-Institut Bangladesh Dr Kirsten Hackenbroch were present at the event, among others.

Activist-photographer Dr Shahidul Alam delivered the closing remarks at the inaugural ceremony.
 

The open-for-all exhibition will conclude on August 30. Visitors can enjoy the display from 3:00pm to 8:00 pm, except on public holidays.

The event also has panel discussions, film screening, workshop and cultural sessions scheduled for its closing ceremony. M3 Comics & M3 Activity Workbooks are also available for purchase for a minimal price at the venue. All the revenue generated from this wing will be donated to organizations working to establish gender equality.