Chobi Mela X International Festival of Photography 2019

The tenth edition of Chobi Mela, one of the most prestigious photography festivals in Asia, started on 28 February, 2019 with an opening rally from Pathshala South Asian Media Institute following an inauguration ceremony at Chhayanaut Auditorium.

Curator of USA's Rubin Museum of Art Beth Citron, Nepali publisher, writer and editor Kunda Dixit, Indian photographer Raghu Rai, and economist Rehman Sobhan were guests of honour at the opening ceremony presided over by festival director, Shahidul Alam.

The lifetime achievement award 2019 was given to Late Dr. Nawajesh Ahmed, internationally renowned photographer, agriculture scientist and author. The ten day-long festival will go on until 9 March, 2019. 

The theme for Chobi Mela X is 'Place'. Curated by ASM Rezaur Rahman, Munem Wasif, Sarker Protick and Tanzim Wahab along with the guest curators, the tenth edition of the festival is more intimate, with all the venues situated in the Dhanmondi area. The Drik-Pathshala under construction building in Panthapath is the main venue along with Drik Gallery at Dhanmondi and Panthapath, Goethe Institut, Gyantapas Abdur Razzak Bidyapeeth, Britto Arts Trust and Alliance Française de Dhaka.

This year's event features 33 exhibitions with works from 44 artists spanning 21 countries including 'Nicaragua in Time' by Susan Meiselas, based on the Nicaraguan revolution of the late 1970s; 'Archives of Persistence' – a series of projects of Bangladesh Garment Sromik Samhati, the Kashmir Photo Collective, the Jag Chobi Collection and the Burj al-Shamali Collection, all which emerge from places of conflict and transition. There is also an exhibition 'Rashid Talukder (1939-2011): A Life's Work', based on works by the late legendary photojournalist of Bangladesh.

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