BackBritto Video and Sound Art Workshop/Festival 2009
Submitted by Britto Arts Trust
Background of Britto Arts Trust:
Britto Arts Trust is the artists’ led registered initiative in Bangladesh that has started its journey in 2002 with 6 contemporary artists from Dhaka. Britto is the part of the worldwide network of Triangle Arts Trust, U.K.
We have strengthened our commitment towards different projects and events for the development of a digital communication and exchange network for artists in South Asia over the last few years that included Khoj-Delhi, VASl- Pakistan, Theertha-Sri Lanka and Sutra- Nepal.
Britto have increased its local impact via research and events related to the local artists, craftsman, makers and artisans. All the local initiatives brought contemporary artists into the wider platforms of the international workshops and residencies of the network and beyond.
Since the beginning of its initiation, Britto Arts Trust has become a platform to experiment with new ideas and materials to the Bangladeshi artists. Throughout these years we have organized a huge number of International and Local events including 3 international workshops, 18 residencies, South Asian artists’ exhibition, a large number of local workshops, exhibitions and presentations. We have already tried to organize events that are related to internet, digital and video art etc. Over the past years we have brought in several artists from the countries such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, U.K, Australia, France, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Africa, Uganda, Mexico, Fiji Island, Myanmar, Mauritius, Germany, Egypt, Jordan and Maldives.
Britto has become an important resource for the contemporary artists and art connoisseurs of Bangladesh.
Please check out: www.brittoarts.org; www.youtube.com/videoartgallery
Aims / Objective / Goals of project:
The objectives of this project are to explore the exchanges and create a platform for critical discourse and interaction between artists from different parts of the Globe.
To encourage experimentation and develop new ideas using new materials in a way that could connect Bangladeshi artists to the Global art scenario.
As New Media Art is almost absent in Bangladesh art scenario, through this event, our aim is to introduce its possibility to the art practitioners who would be interested in experimenting with these mediums.
Brief description of project:
Britto @New Media Art Festival
Last year in September we have organized a South Asian Exhibition in Dhaka in 3 different important galleries simultaneously. There were art works of 20 artists from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. After getting the huge impact of this event, we have planned to organize at least an International exhibition in each year that would showcase the work from the Globe.
This year our project will be based on Mew Media Art (video/sound etc), which will end up with an exhibition in 3 different galleries in Dhaka. This curatorial show will include 10/ 12 artists from Asia, Africa, Arab world and Europe. Among them we would like to invite 4 artists from abroad to attend in a week-long workshop along with younger generation artists from Bangladesh. The outcomes of the workshop will be showcased at the exhibition hall through an ongoing single channel projection. We have got our own studio spaces organizing this workshop. The artists would develop their projects through the exchange and interaction with each other.
During the week-long Exhibition, as an extension of this project, we would like to organize a discussion that would include papers on new media art/ video and sound.
Methodology / Implementation of project:
Britto would like to take the prospect to execute this event as this will be the first International New Media Art festival in Bangladesh. The viewers will have the chance to see the development, get knowledge about the mediums and will have an opportunity to view a number of art works at one place. The event will not only include one or two channels videos but video installations as well depending on the project plan of the participants.
16-20 October 2009: Workshop of the 8 selected and invited artists amongst them 4 artists from abroad and 4 from Bangladesh will work together at Britto Studio.
23 October: Opening of the exhibition in which outcomes of the workshops as well as more art works from abroad will be presented.
24 October: Seminar on the relevant subject matter (New media/ Video art and Sound).
23-30 October: Exhibition.
Time frame of project:
The approximate time frame of the project is October 2009.
Projected output of project (is it a workshop, a discussion, a showing etc.):
The project includes
A 5 day long workshop.
A week-long exhibition.
A discussion about New Media Art
Who is your target audience for your project?
Artists and art connoisseurs would be our targeted audiences. Especially younger generation artists and students who are interested in experimentation would be more benefited.
We hope there will be a huge number of viewers from the educational institutions.
How do you propose to disseminate information about the project to your target audience?
According to our policy, we do publication and documentation towards each project for our own archive. Therefore, for this event as well we will be publishing a colored catalogue, poster, banner and invitation cards. We also would like to do an online show of the project through YouTube or Blogs. The project will be published through our website as well.
Beforehand of the exhibition we would distribute the poster to the Fine Art Institutions, cultural organizations such as Alliance Francaise, Goethe Istitut, British Council and all the galleries in Dhaka and Chittagong. We usually circulate e-card to more than 2000 email ids for every project done by Britto.
We hope the project will be broadcasted via Media such as newspaper, television and FM radio.
How do you think your project will create impact on the art communities/the cultures that you want to engage with? How will it develop the field of your art form?
Since we have an experience organizing two video art workshop locally in past and there were a huge interest about this medium after having its screening the outcomes at Britto for the Open Studio Day, we hope there will be a great interest observing this exhibition as well.
As an alternative art space in Bangladesh we have taken the challenge to organize and welcome different art forms that would help developing the artists’ society of the country as well as the emerging dynamic artists. Since the art world is rather conventional we have to work on this movement to raise awareness. We have been working hard for more than 6 years. Hence this project will be a mile-stone.
There are several artists who are technically sound but their awareness in practicing art through their technical knowledge is not present because of lack of ideas. Thus, many of them are loosing their talent working for commercial purposes only. We hope these artists community would learn the fact and enrich themselves by this festival.
Mahbubur Rahman
Coordinator
Britto Arts Trust
260, Elephant Road
2nd Floor
Dhaka-1205
Bangladesh
Phone: +880-(0)3772010574, +880-(0) 172 6389355 ( cell), +880-(0) 1911348493 (cell)