A precursor to a grand event that focuses on artists from Asia

The upcoming edition of the keenly awaited Dhaka Art Summit is set to combine artistic and cultural synergies of more than 250 artists from India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. In its first edition, the event focused on promoting artists from Bangladesh. Keeping in mind the fact that not many art lovers were conversant with Bangladeshi art, the summit tried to change the perception.

The spontaneous response only reaffirmed the belief of organizers that they were moving in just the right direction. Nadia Samdani is the founder-director of the grand summit. An IANS news gives the following details of the art event to be held in Dhaka:

• The art biennial, organized by the Samdani Art Foundation in collaboration with Bangladesh's National Academy of Fine and Performing Arts, would be held from Feb 7 to 9, 2014. "This time, we are concentrating more on the South Asian region. The model we follow is different from what is being followed at the art fairs in this region. Our focus is not galleries, we want to promote artists and solo projects," Samdani was quoted as saying in the news report.
  
• This is the reason why many solo artists' project apart from a series of curated exhibits, performances and experimental film screenings will be an integral part of the itinerary, with over 30 galleries participating. The event will include several new commissions by talented artists such as Jitish Kallat, Shilpa Gupta, Rashid Rana, Shahzia Sikander, Mithu Sen, Naeem Mohaiemen, Tayeba Begum Lipi and others. Under the guidance and ideation of Diana Campbell Betancourt, public art projects and solo projects have been curated.
  
• The public art project through the medium of road signs and billboards will challenge notions of time and space across the city in Dhaka -- an idea conceived by Delhi-based multi-discipline art collective Raqs Media Collective. The solo projects will present in-depth perspectives of the artists' works while curated exhibitions at the Shilpakala Academy will focus on cutting-edge practices.

Samdani added that the event was aimed at encouraging artists. "Art can be in many forms. We always had a market here, but it hasn't been promoted well. We are trying to do that bit," she pointed out.