‘Chobi Mela Shunno’ kicks off

Organised by Drik Picture Library Ltd and Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, the 2021 edition of "Chobi Mela", begins today. Titled "Chobi Mela Shunno", the festival started with an inaugural rally at DrikPath Bhobon in the afternoon. At the end of the rally, celebrated photographer Shahidul Alam, along with other curators inaugurated the festival with an introductory discussion on the exhibitions.

"As a Bangladeshi, I feel proud that in the field of photography, we are the pioneers and the rest of the world follows us," shares Shahidul Alam, Founder, Chobi Mela. "When a group of people start working on something new, others are inspired to do the same."

For this edition, the festival plans to reinvent itself in the post-pandemic environment by engaging more digital content and multidisciplinary practices, integrating the physical with digital, and inviting the overlap of the spaces in-between. This year, "Chobi Mela" aims to create a space for artists, thinkers, healers, activists, and visionaries in self-reflective, experimental processes, to assemble and disassemble and to navigate a web of communities, relationships, and collaborations.

"When we first started 'Chobi Mela', the concept of curators was not very known," says Shahidul Alam. "This year, the curators deserve all the praise for successfully connecting the audience with the works. They worked day and night to make this event successful and their confidence and compassion was indomitable."

February 13 will be celebrated as 'Drik Day', February 14 as 'Pathshala Day', February 15 as 'Solidarity Day' and February 16 as 'Baba Betar Day' throughout the festival.

"We named this edition, 'Shunno', because we think this is a new beginning for all of us," shares Tanzim Wahab, Festival Director. "We are passing a troubled time in many spheres of life; thus, we must start to think differently and start anew."

This edition focuses on South Asia at large, to find how regional artists and curators devise collective actions in overly divisive spaces. This year, Chobi Mela has eight projects by 75 artists from home and abroad, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

The festival features several exhibitions, online talks, podcasts, workshops and a radio project. Few noteworthy exhibitions are Sayeeda Khanum's tribute exhibition, 'The Rebel with a Smile', 'Chapakhana Archive', 'Frozen Song', 'Off Limits', 'Anatomies of Tongues', and 'Crossroads'.

The ten-day event will go on until February 21, 2021. It is open for all from 11 am  to 8 pm at DrikPath Bhobon, Panthapath.