Tracing Displacement curated by Niharika Momtaz challenged conventional outlooks
Sculptures share space with artworks on the wall.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Bangladesh Art Week launched two distinct but related events for its 2nd Dubai edition (Nov. 18 — Dec. 16) at Bayt AlMamzar in Dubai, featuring internationally renowned and established artists alongside early career artists. Titled Tracing Displacement, the exhibitions encompassed sculpture, photography, mixed media constructions, augmented reality, works on paper and fabric, and film presentations of five artists from Bangladesh. The group exhibition was curated by Niharika Momtaz, and presented the works of Mahbubur Rahman, Samsul Alam Helal, Salahuddin Ahmed Paulash, Dinar Sultana Putul and Mojahid Musa.
Tracing Displacement delved into the intricate and challenging circumstances arising from forced displacement caused by war, poverty and environmental factors. Through painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, video and augmented reality, the exhibition contemplated disruptive conditions and challenged conventional perceptions of the built environment. Going beyond traditional interpretations, the displacements wove stories that confronted the historical legacies of invasion and supplanting. The show brought to the forefront images which were simultaneously static, dynamic and synthetic, to engage with these complex constructs.
Internal displacement in Bangladesh dates back to the country’s independence in 1971, when almost a third of its population was displaced. Since then, climate change and ethnic conflict have also contributed to internal disruption. Assimilated Musing VII by Mojahid Musa under Bangladesh Art Week’s Creative Residency Program called Connection was also displayed. As both the offerings were inaugurated, Guest of Honour Said Nourine, Director of Alliance Francaise, was present.
Gaith Abdulla, Founder of Bayt Al Mamzar, said that “the exhibition Tracing Displacement is a timely reminder of how societies big and small can fail those most vulnerable. We welcome this opportunity to reflect on these collective failures of humanity, and to be able to highlight such topics at this critical time is especially poignant.
As the people of Gaza face this ongoing historic onslaught, we as societies, communities and cultures, must come to terms with and reflect on what it means to bear witness to tragedy.” Niharika Momtaz, who is also Founder of Bangladesh Art Week, said that “Tracing Displacement hopes to create engaging spaces that inspire ideas that keep the human story at the centre of discussion. It consists of individual stories of some of the millions of people forced to leave their homes due to war, natural disaster and poverty.
They are stories that confront the legacies of invasion and displacement.” With Niharika Momtaz as curator, members of this group have exhibited in events such as the Venice Art Biennale, Documenta, Sharjah Biennale, Museum Of Contemporary Art, Modern Art Museum, Colombo Biennale, Kathmandu Triennial, Bronx Museum New York, Art Dubai, India Art Fair and Dhaka Art Summit. Bangladesh Art Week, hailed as the voice of Bangladesh’s art industry, provides a platform for emerging and established artists to showcase their artwork in an international context.
It offers an important connection to the art world by projecting the increasingly vibrant Bangladesh visual arts industry through interaction, guidance and exposure. All Bangladesh Art Week activities are supported by its Founder Niharika Momtaz and Co-founder, Mohammed Mohsin. Bayt AlMamzar is an independent art space founded as a response to the needs of the local contemporary creative community. It welcomes innovative, experimental and collaborative approaches.
Holding a belief in constructive, critical dialogue and the free exchange of opinions, the Bayt currently houses artist studios, residency programmes, exhibitions, public programmes, a growing library collection, and more. Earlier, Niharika Momtaz also displayed Heritage Treasures at Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. Inaugurated (Nov. 3 — 12) in collaboration with Dubai Culture, the event exhibited jewellery pieces designed by her.
The event welcomed distinguished guests, including eminent architect Rashad Muhammad Bukhash, Chairman of the Architectural Heritage Society - UAE, along with influencers and designers. Heritage Treasures showcased a carefully curated collection of 16 pieces of jewellery. At its core, the collection celebrated the simplicity of architecture, blending design, innovation, together with scientific insights. Guided by two interdependent dimensions — the language of patterns and the language of forms — Momtaz traversed architectural styles, uncovering patterns and forms interwoven in the landscapes of the UAE and Bangladesh, each with its unique narrative.
The jewellery pieces were birthed by the architectural inspiration involved in motifs, doors and windows, germinating in the UAE and Bangladesh and maturing through the hands of artisans of the Indian subcontinent. The exhibition aligned with Dubai Culture’s efforts to foster cultural understanding. Momtaz said that “drawing from an early fascination with the graceful allure of architecture, I discovered the fact that structures transcend their material composition, becoming enduring links between the past and the future.
Much like the enduring elegance of jewellery, architecture embodies permanence, simplicity and carries an everlasting allure. This led me to realise that the language of architecture was the ideal wellspring of inspiration.” She added that in the realm of contemporary design, architecture stood as a vital underpinning, “akin to the foundations of buildings that withstand the erosion of time.”
In every nation and metropolis, she said, an individual architectural language unfolds, which is a vibrant tapestry of tales unique to each locale. For her, the journey to craft a solitary piece entails a hundred sketches, culminating in a design that honours one of her core tenets: elegance and minimalism. Hers is a meticulously crafted journey, undertaken with pencil and paper, weaving the narrative into one-of-a-kind creations.
