Movement will Become Sculpture

Mustafa Zaman

“Being out in the street is a political expression," says Awena Cozannet in an unassuming voice. She toys with the idea whether it is more important to join a political rally or is it more important to encapsulate the whole idea of politics and art in public performances that now is considered art. "I have introduced a process. I wanted to see what happens if the artists are free to believe, to select and to act or interact," she adds.

Awena arrived in Dhaka last month and started working with Brotto from February 2, 2004. This is his second visit. The artist from Leon, France has organised the young artists and students with the help of Britto to introduce interactive art. As Awena is a performer, a conveyor of ideas who uses all sorts of contortions, the contingent of artists who joined her was also given stimulation to do something along that line. Twenty-three Artists from Dhaka and Chittagong came up with their own versions of performances and installations. It was a one-month long process that saw artists taking their art to the public arena. Street corners, open fields, slums were chosen by the artists of Dhaka. In Chittagong, at Jogotpur Ashram, the orphanage, became the centre of interaction between the artists and the children living there.

Though the language of art cntred around the theme, "Movement will Become Sculpture", a phrase that Awena coined, many artists resorted to installations and performances that are markedly their own.

Awana's first visit to Bangladesh, which was last year, saw her participate in the first international workshop at Bhaluka. That occasion saw her doing a performance that melded the Western morbidity with a kind of Buddhist meditative expression that now gaining ground in the art scene of Dhaka. After one year this language has affected a lot of young mind. Awena is more than happy about the impact she has in the art world of Dhaka. She is delighted to find fellow artists in Mahabubur Rahman, one of the young artists at the helm at Britto, who shares a kinship with Awena and equally zealous for interactive art. Their works and recorded actions were on display at La Galerie, Alliance Francaise, Dhaka, from 19 to 29 March.