A unique exhibition of artworks aboard a two-storied mechanical boat, highlighting the bond between the Buriganga river and people living on its bank, concluded in the city on Sunday.
The three-day exhibition titled “Gangaburi” showcased site-specific artworks at various locations alongside the Buriganga, including Showari Ghat, Zinzira Ferry Ghat, Kholamora Boat Terminal, Thota Ghat and Madbor Bazar Ghat.
The artworks explored themes ranging from riverside rituals to everyday beauty of life along the river, fostering a collective sense of unity and responsibility for its preservation.
Selected works of sculptors Bilas Mandal, Mojahid Musa and Rupakalpa Chowdhury, painters Dinar Sultana Putul and Moinuddin Moni and French photographer Elodie Guignard were displayed at the exhibition curated by Shehzad Shahriar Chowdhury and directed by Bishwajit Goswami.
Organised by the Brihatta Art Foundation with support from The British Council, the exhibition visually celebrated the cultural heritage of the Buriganga river, considered the lifeline of Dhaka city since its evolution centuries ago.
“The British Council is delighted to support the unique boat exhibition, which meaningfully connects art, community, and heritage by highlighting the river's central role in shaping Bangladesh’ cultural identity. Through active local community engagement, this exhibition celebrates the deep roots that connect people to their environment, offering a powerful platform for creative expression and reflection on Old Dhaka's history, heritage, and the future of waterways,” said British Council Bangladesh Director Stephen Forbes said on the occasion.
The exhibition was organised under the “river heritage project,” an evolution and expansion from a collective work last year (2023), which was supported by EUNIC (the European National Institutes for Culture) Bangladesh, The British Council in Bangladesh, Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, EU Delegation in Bangladesh and the embassies of the Netherlands and Spain in Bangladesh.
The project featured a creative collaboration with traditional urban artists, like Mohammad Hanif Pappu and Syed Ahmed Hossain, notable rickshaw painters.
The title of this project is inspired by the song “Gangaburi” by Kafil Ahmed.
The exhibition started at Showari Ghat with performances by Farah Naz Moon, Joydeb Roaja, and Yasmin Jahan Nupur.
Organisers said the exhibition prompted the audiences to engage in conversations about conserving and protecting natural heritages.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
