Uncertainty in the art scene
Postponement of art events are affecting the schedules and financial stability of art galleries and artists
Amid unpredictable road conditions and curfews, Dhaka's bustling art scene has come to a complete standstill. Many events have either been cut short or postponed.
Among them are Alliance Française de Dhaka's exhibition, 'PSA: Beyond the Gaze,' which was supposed to run from 19-27 July, and Dwip Gallery's ongoing exhibition 'Okoitob,' which was supposed to run till 26 July. Galleri Kaya's '20th Anniversary Exhibition' scheduled to run from 5-20 July also had to make adjustments.
"We had to cut the event short by two to three days. Though we did not formally notify the audience, no one was able to show up either during that time," said Rajen Gain from Galleri Kaya.
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Art galleries often follow a meticulous schedule, and events are booked well in advance. Consequently, the postponed events will be rescheduled for dates much later than originally planned. "We have postponed four exhibitions and they have been rescheduled for the middle of 2025 as the whole year is booked," mentioned Mamun Ar Rashid, Programme in Charge at Alliance Française de Dhaka.
Experts and artists agree that the arts have always found themselves struggling. Exhibitions have been one of the few means for art collectors and artists to connect.
"There is definitely a financial repercussion, we have workers who need to get paid, and a disruption in the schedule will ultimately impact our income as well," shared Rajen.
"You can say that in the art space there is not a lot of financial security in the first place, and exhibitions play a huge role," said Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo, CEO, Co-founder of Dwip Gallery.
"When we cannot run them, finances are obviously affected. But it is more important to think about why we are unable to run them at the moment," he added.
The teams behind art galleries remain clear on one point: there is no point in running exhibitions during a collective sense of unrest among people. "What can we do in a situation like this, when no one is in a positive headspace," commented Mamun.
"Does it affect our work plans? Sure. But we are not irritated regarding it either. It's a very high emotional time for people right now and we have to respect that," Apurbo concluded.
