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 Dhaka recently.
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 the everyday beauty of life along the river, fostering a collective sense of unity and responsibility for its preservation. The exhibition prompted the audiences to converse about conserving and protecting natural heritages.
Curated by Shehzad Shahriar Chowdhury and directed by Bishwajit Goswami, the exhibition displayed selected works by sculptors Bilas Mandal, Mojahid Musa, and Rupakalpa Chowdhury, painters Dinar Sultana Putul and Moinuddin Moni, and French photographer Elodie Guignard.
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 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.
Bd-pratidin English/ Fariha Nowshin Chinika
