As we bid farewell to 2023, we pause to reflect on a year filled with artistic fervour, interesting dialogues, and some tough challenges.

The Arts 

Bengal Arts Programme presented five significant museum-style shows, spanning over 300 days of exhibition time, that explored the ways in which the language of art practice is connected to our history and lived context. There were also 15 talks, workshops and presentations.

The talent nurtured under the classical music training programme, the Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay, took centre stage this year with over 23 concerts. The students performance at the BRAC Hope Festival and Dhaka Lit Fest showcased the depth and breadth of their artistic competence. For the first time, the students clinched the Sunsilk Channel-i Music Awards. Bengal Foundation organised 18 musical evenings this year, captivating audiences with diverse genres and styles. 

Bengal Publications and Bengal Boi actively engaged in book fairs, such as the New York Bengali Book Fair, Ekushey Boimela, and Dhaka Lit Fest. Bengal Publications launched 20 new titles during the course of the year, along with annual issues of Jamini and Six Seasons Review, and regular issues of the Bengali literary monthly Kali O Kalam. The book discussions held round the year served as a platform for cultivating a community of dedicated readers and literary enthusiasts. 

Bengal Foundation presented its curation and research programme at the ‘The State of Architecture + South Asia’ conference, organised by the South Asia Institute, Harvard University, in New Delhi this year.  

‘Nona Pani’ (2022), directed by Syeda Nigar Banu and produced by Bengal Creations, was selected for screening at three prestigious international film festivals.

Bengal Foundation’s mediation as a national entity member of the World Crafts Council brought home prestigious awards. Held recently in Dongyang, China, the highly contested Craft Master Award was secured by 3 Bangladeshi craftspersons, out of 7 in the South Asia region. 

Research and Outreach

The Ganesh Haloi-Bengal Research Grant, a pivotal component of our Research and Outreach Programme, was given out in 2023 to support and encourage research in the arts. 

The S M Sultan Conservation Project advanced its art-historical research and is set to launch a conservation studio dedicated to the examination, analysis, and restoration of artworks by S M Sultan in the Bengal Foundation Collection. The studio also aims to build local competence in sustainable conservation techniques, methodologies, and restoration models.

Digital Expansion and Accessibility

In the last few decades, environmental, commercial, technological and socio-political change has altered Bangladesh’s local context, creating the need for the elimination of accumulations of legacy methodologies, processes and systems, and the creation of new systems of continuity from the past to the present, and towards the future. With that in mind, the Digital Asset Management Unit successfully consolidated Bengal Foundation’s central data repository by deploying in-house Data Storage Server Infrastructure. The final archiving is being done with a view to open the archives for the public. 

In response to the evolving global landscape, Bengal Foundation amplified its digital presence, by making cultural content and resources more accessible to a wider audience. Our YouTube channel with over 1500 annual content uploads, crossed the 300K subscriber mark in 2023. The content garnered an overwhelming total of 36 million views this year. 

Bengal Boi introduced its new website, providing individuals with the opportunity to explore and purchase books online. The website for ‘Voices of Bangladesh’, an oral history project dedicated to showcasing the often-overlooked roles and contribution of individuals in shaping the narratives of Bangladesh’s 50-year history, was launched.  

This year, we mourn the loss of Ruby Ghuznavi, a trailblazer in the revival of natural dyes and the crafts movement in Bangladesh, and a valued trustee. Her commitment and dedication continue to inspire us. 

As we look back on 2023, we believe that through careful research, documentation, historical detailing and programming at Bengal Foundation that overlaps art, music, crafts, literature and architecture, it has been possible to make small but meaningful shifts in how contemporary culture in Bangladesh understands itself. We extend our gratitude to all the artists, performers, scholars, and patrons who have been part of this remarkable journey.