ShohorNama Dhaka Episode II
The Glimmer of Artistic Topography

Bengal Arts Programme is pleased to present ShohorNama Dhaka, a multidisciplinary exhibition and activation including large appliqué tents, Pakghor, wood-cut print, appliqué, installation, performance art and workshop by Britto Arts Trust.
H.E. Marie Masdupuy, Ambassador of France to Bangladesh, inaugurated ShohorNama Dhaka Episode II at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, 15 February 2025, at Bengal Shilpalay. ShohorNama Dhaka Episode II is a long-term project that began in early 2024, and is executed in collaboration with visual artists, architects, artisans, makers as well as academics and students of the Printmaking and Craft Departments of the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka.

Collateral programmes and schedules –

Friday, 14 February 2025
Opening reception at 5.30 pm at Britto Arts Trust
33,33/1 Green Mart, 1^st Floor, Green Road, Dhaka 1205

Saturday, 15 February 2025
Opening reception at 6.30 pm at Bengal Shilpalay
Level 4, House 42, Road 16, Dhaka 1209
Opening remarks and exhibition walkthrough At 7:45pm

Saturday, 15 February 2025
Pakghor (the social kitchen) Activation at 5.30 pm at Britto Arts Trust (Green Road)

Sunday, 16 February 2025
Pakghor (the social kitchen) Activation at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi) with Tarun Ghosh
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Sunday, 16 February 2025
Curatorial Talk at 5.30 pm at Level 3, Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)

Monday, 17 February 2025
Pakghor (the social kitchen) Activation at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)
artist: Kanak Chanpa Chakma

Monday, 17 February 2025,
Collective workshop with Jakarta biennale facilitator (from 1 pm at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)

Monday, 17 February 2025,
Jakarta biennale presentation & Artists’ Dialogue in a Circle at 5:30 pm at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)

Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Pakghor (the social kitchen) Activation at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)

Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Talk at 5.30 pm at Atelier Robin Architects – Architect Salauddin Ahmed (Hazaribagh)
55/1, Pragati Leather Complex Building, 2nd floor, Hazaribagh, Dhaka 120
Performance art by Sabiha Ambareen Haque

Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Pakghor (the social kitchen) Activation at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)

Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Bookmaking workshop and Applique workshop (Children and Adults) at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)

Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Applique workshop (Children and Adult) at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)

Thursday, 20 February 2025
Pakghor (the social kitchen) Activation at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)
Applique workshop (Children and Adults) at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)
Performance art by Shwashmul Arts at 3.00 pm

Saturday, 22 February 2025
Architecture Students’ Workshop at Bengal Shilpalay and Britto Arts Trust
Participated by 15 architecture students.
Activities – Gallery tour at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi) followed by workshop at Britto Arts Trust (Green Road)
11:00 am – 5:00 pm,
Registration: Mandatory for participation. Details to be shared separately

Saturday, 22 February 2025
Pakghor (the social kitchen) Activation at 11:00 am
Bookmaking Workshop (Children and Adults) at 11:00 am
Performance art by Joydeb Roaza and Jayatu Chakma

Sunday, 23 February 2025
Pakghor (the social kitchen) Activation at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)
Performance art by Runi Jinnat, Tahmina Hafiz Lisa, Efat Razowana Reya and Sharad Das

Monday, 24 February 2025
Pakghor (the social kitchen) Activation at 11:00 am at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)
Performance art by Syed Muhammad Zakir (Emon), Saleh Mahmud Ku Yilin and Chen Yuching

Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Closing ceremony at Bengal Shilpalay (Dhanmondi)
Sound and music

Curators:

‘The Glimmer of Artistic Topography’ in 6 Asian countries
Curator: Sandy Hsui-Chih Lo, Taiwan

ShohorNama Dhaka- Episode II
Curators: Mahbubur Rahman & Tayeba Begum Lipi

ShohorNama Dhaka- Performance Art
Curators: Yasmin Jahan Nupur & Reetu Sattar

Exhibitions:
Bengal Shilpalay, Level 4, House 42, Road 16, Dhaka 1209
15-25 February 2025, 11am-8 pm

Britto Arts Trust, 33,33/1 Green Mart, Green Road, 1^st Floor, Dhaka. 1205
14-25 February 2025, 3-8 pm

Open Studio:
Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka
Saturday, 15 February 2025, 10am – 01pm

Wood-cut Print and Applique: Outcomes of the Collaborative Workshop with the academics and students of the Department of Print Making & Department of Craft, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka

CURATORIAL NOTE
The rapid transformation of Dhaka city in recent years is undeniably overwhelming. The ongoing cultural shifts and changes in lifestyles across Bangladesh are starkly visible, particularly in the capital. Dhaka, as the hub of economic activity, continues to attract vast numbers of people from rural areas, drawn by the hope of better opportunities. However, this inexorable migration from the countryside has led to severe urban challenges, from overcrowding to strained resources, creating a perfect storm for socio-economic and environmental issues.
Against this backdrop, our ambitious dream project, ShohorNama, aimed to explore and narrate the complexities of urban life through art. Originally, the project’s scope was vast, encompassing multiple dimensions of Dhaka’s transformation. However, in response to political, societal tensions, and various constraints, the project was scaled down to a more modest vision. Despite these challenges, we were able to collaborate successfully with several artists, institutions, and universities, particularly the Faculty of Fine Art at the University of Dhaka, providing a platform for students and faculty to engage in a shared artistic experience.
At the heart of ShohorNama is the idea of visual storytelling. The project intertwines images, artistic expressions, and urban narratives to reflect the experiences of people in the city. These representations aim to shed light on the struggles, dreams, and the essence of life in a rapidly changing urban environment, emphasizing the growing gap between the traditional and modern and highlighting the intense desire for belonging.
In 2024, the devastation caused by floods in Bangladesh, particularly in 22 Polder in Khulna, became another focus of our efforts. In response to the crisis, we launched the Pakghor Project, a community kitchen designed to provide support to flood-affected families. As many displaced individuals had lost their homes and cooking facilities, they were surviving on dry food rations, lacking access to warm, nutritious meals. Pakghor served as a temporary but essential lifeline, offering warm meals to 500 villagers for an entire week.
What began as a simple food distribution initiative soon grew into something deeper and more meaningful. The kitchen became a community gathering space where displaced individuals shared stories, experiences, and local knowledge about survival, food, and rebuilding life after disaster. This exchange fostered a sense of collective resilience. In addition, architects and researchers joined the effort to study long-term housing solutions, clean water access, and livelihood restoration, adding a layer of sustainability to the project. Pakghor thus transformed from a food aid initiative into an ongoing space for learning, resilience, and community development.
Parallel to this, the Dorjikhana project emerged as a creative space for textile-based artistic collaborations. Here, many artists could engage with the cultural and historical significance of fabric and its connection to the garment industry in Bangladesh. Textile practices like applique and embroidery became central to the project, creating artworks that reflected both traditional and contemporary aspects of urban life. The project also drew inspiration from the disappearing tradition of circus performances, merging the themes of movement, fluidity, and vibrant visual language into the textile medium.
The creative process behind Dorjikhana was documented in various formats, including digital books, printed materials, and documentary films. Through this, the project aimed to make the collective artistic journey accessible to a broader audience, showcasing the talent and dedication of participating artists. It highlighted the collaborative nature of the endeavor, with artists, viewers, and participants co-creating a singular artistic experience that reflected urban narratives from diverse perspectives.
In addition, the symbolic importance of tents was explored in ShohorNama. Historically, tents have represented temporary shelters for nomadic communities, offering a mobile form of housing that transcends national borders. The Big Tent symbolizes the fluidity of human migration, reflecting the challenges faced by people on the move—whether due to natural disasters, economic hardship, or political unrest. This notion of impermanence also speaks to the complex nature of identity in a modern world, particularly in marginalized communities such as the Santal and other indigenous groups, whose traditional ways of life challenge contemporary administrative systems.
As part of ShohorNama, we hosted collaborative workshops with the Department of Printmaking and the Department of Craft at the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka. These workshops provided students with opportunities to contribute to large-scale artistic projects, such as woodcut prints and applique works, that reflected their own urban experiences. The technical complexity of these projects required immense effort, but they fostered a deep understanding of visual storytelling and collaborative creation, blending individual ideas into cohesive artistic visions.
The final exhibition of ShohorNama features a wide range of artistic forms, including soft sculptures, bookmaking workshops, and curatorial performance art events. These elements come together to reflect the dynamic interplay between personal expression and collective creativity, emphasizing the power of art to connect people across different experiences and backgrounds.
Ultimately, ShohorNama is more than an exhibition—it is an exploration of urban narratives, touching on themes of migration, survival, resilience, and the role of art in creating human connections. Through collaboration and collective engagement, it reflects the transformative power of art in addressing social, ecological, and gender issues, while offering a poignant commentary on how communities adapt and rebuild in the face of rapid change.