City Subconscious: Nights of Dhaka through Aananda Antahleen’s lens
The inauguration of "City Subconscious: An Exhibition by Aananda Antahleen (A Ghartera Project)" took place in Dwip Gallery, Lalmatia, on Friday, August 19 at 5:30 pm. The event was hosted by Ghartera, an ever-evolving art space that goes against the typically restrictive approach to art. Curated by Doito Bonotulshi, Ata Mojlish, and Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo, this exhibition is a visual journal of emerging photographer Aananda Antahleen.
'Ghartera' is the Bangla word for 'unyielding' or 'stubbornness', which depicts the approach taken by the artist and the curators. It was created with the notion to break the boundary between art and the artist, in order to showcase their works without any prohibition or censorship—encouraging an artist's free-flowing thought process.
Traditionally, people think of art as some sacred, delicate piece created to beautify a space, while they view exhibitions as something accessible to only people from a certain social class. Ghartera is an attempt to break free of this idea.
"City Subconscious" is an ongoing project that started over five years ago. The project is a reflection of Aananda Antahleen's emotions and thoughts, considering the infrastructural evolution of Dhaka city, and the effects it's having on our lives. According to curator Doito, 'the artist through his photographs tried to lift the veil between life and art by capturing the raw elements of the city in their true essence.'
The tiny spaces inside Dwip Gallery are adorned with Aananda's photography. The most presiding characteristic of his various pieces are the neon-glowing subjects in the dark night. Being asked about the reason behind his style, the artist said that the issues he chose to portray were best witnessed after dark. The city, in his opinion, is frightening at night for anyone, especially women and children. Thus, he decided to expose this unpleasant face of Dhaka city.
Inside the first room, a corner is filled with dry garbage, representing the unclean city. As I go deeper, I see hand notes hung on the little corridor walls, with data on unemployment rates, and capitalistic exploitation. The other wall has pages from Aananda's journal where he questions the filth inside people's minds, and wishes for a better world. The washroom displays images on how politics directs infrastructural development.
The music played in the gallery is the sound and songs collected from different corners of Dhaka. Aananda stated that the city's structural violence makes him feel helpless, almost like a stray dog. So, he photographed several stray dogs and called it a self-portrait. This particular image is connected with a long text on the wall, that reaches up to a tilted photo of a mannequin. Aananda said that he was the dog who found affection in the lonely mannequin.
The whole purpose of this exhibition is to demonstrate the artistes' rage and frustration towards the city, and its contrast between the overwhelming glamour that only caters to the privileged, and the inequality, violence, and oppression made in the name of growth and progress. Dwip Gallery will run this open-for-all exhibition till September 3. All of the photographs are up for sale.