chobi mela vii brings international photography to dhaka

Chobi Mela is an international photography festival held in Bangladesh once every two years. It was first organized in Dhaka from December 1999 to January 2000 by Drik. Since then, it has continued to enthral and excite audiences. “If impossibility is a criterion for success, then Chobi Mela has all the credentials,” says Shahidul Alam, commenting on the event’s success to chobimela.org. A renowned Bangladeshi photographer who is credited with pioneering modern photography in his country, Alam also serves as the festival’s director.
Chobi Mela VII, began on January 25, 2013 and ended on February 7, and featured “Fragility” as its primary theme. The topic was chosen on the basis of an online poll inviting the people to participate and contribute to the creative process. In an interview with The Daily Star, Alam reveals that one of the festival’s main objectives since its inception has been to inspire participating photographers to focus on socio-political issues. “The world is seemingly turning more fragile – both politically and environmentally. ‘Fragility,’ in that sense, is a very relevant theme,” said Alam.
The festival is also involved in highlighting issues such as social inequality and the struggle against oppression. Prior themes included “Differences Unframed,” “Exclusion,” “Resistance,” “Boundaries” and “Freedom.” 2011’s Chobi Mela was centered on “Dreams” and exhibited works that explored this theme in new and innovative ways. The three-week long event is also noteworthy since it was broadcast live on Drik TV. As a consequence, the works of several local and international photographers were in view for a worldwide audience.
Chobi Mela VII was inaugurated at a ceremony held at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh in Shilpakala Academy. Other galleries that were part of the event included the Dhaka Art Center, Drik Gallery and Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts. At the ceremony Alam presented Bangladeshi photographer Bijon Sarkar (who unfortunately passed away last year) as well as Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide with “Lifetime Achievement” Awards. Alam called Sarkar one of the unsung heroes of the Bangladeshi photographic movement while Iturbide was credited with helping take documentary photography to new heights. Bijon Sarkar’s widow and Iturbide were present at the event to accept these honours.
34 photographers participated in this year’s Chobi Mela VII. Among them were seven Bangladeshi photographers, who amply demonstrated their creativity and zeal for their craft. 24 countries participated in the event, including Mexico, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, UK, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and India. There were several works that depicted the theme of “Fragility” from myriad perspectives, reflecting the kaleidoscopic nature of the event itself.
Hossein Fatemi, a photographer from Afghanistan, revealed a society on the verge of collapse in Dark Future. Marika Elan’s The Pink Choice offered an intimate look at the domestic lives of two homosexuals. Elan mused on the fragility of love. Saori Ninomiya exhibited images of victims of sexual abuse in From That Place: The Voice of Being. However, she did not highlight their misery, grief or terror, preferring to focus on their future. Her work, indeed, shows that these women were not so fragile.
Chobi Mela VII also featured talks, workshops and seminars where the audience were able to hear from several luminaries of the photography world such as Chris Riley, Pablo Bartholomew, Jodi Bieber, Morten Krogvold and Graciela Iturbide. The festivities ended with a ceremony at Shilpakala Academy. Chobi Mela hopes to return to Dhaka with more creative and innovative photographs.

Chobi Mela is an international photography festival held in Bangladesh once every two years. It was first organized in Dhaka from December 1999 to January 2000 by Drik. Since then, it has continued to enthral and excite audiences. “If impossibility is a criterion for success, then Chobi Mela has all the credentials,” says Shahidul Alam,…