Established in 2018, the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation (DBF) is a philanthropic entity dedicated to fostering and showcasing art from South Asia and the wider world within a discerning global art narrative. In a collaborative effort with LARRY’S LIST, DBF has initiated the release of quarterly newsletters this year. These bulletins aim to spotlight the latest news and partnerships of the foundation, emphasizing the burgeoning art scene in this dynamic region and its worldwide influence.
This fourth issue of the year features a selection of five latest developments related to DBF and artists in its art collection.
Inaugural DBF-KMB Lecture Series: “New Dialogues: Contemporary Art from South Asia”, 11 October, 2024
DBF is pleased to announce “New Dialogues: Contemporary Art from South Asia”, the inaugural DBF-KMB Lecture Series, presented by the Hayward Gallery in collaboration with Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation and Kochi-Muziris Biennale. The event will be held on October 11, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM, at the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, offering a day of engaging conversations.
The DBF-KMB Lecture Series at the Hayward Gallery brings together diverse voices to explore cultural, artistic, and curatorial practices across South Asia and its diaspora.
Essayist and novelist Pankaj Mishra, a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books, London Review of Books, and The New Yorker, will deliver the keynote lecture. Titled ‘Imagination in the Age of Censorship’, his address will consider the entrenched regimes in politics and the media that enforce their own version of truth while cracking down on dissenters.
The event will also feature conversations with leading figures in contemporary art, including Bani Abidi, Iftikhar Dadi, Jeebesh Bagchi, Munem Wasif, Sharmini Pereira, and Nikhil Chopra. The discussions will be moderated by Hammad Nasar and Devika Singh.
DBF invites you to join them for this significant occasion, as they delve into critical discussions on South Asian contemporary art and its global impact.
Links to Register / Tickets:
Contemporary South Asian Art: Panel Discussions (Fri 11 Oct 2024, 2pm)
New Dialogues: Keynote by Pankaj Mishra (Fri 11 Oct 2024, 6.30pm)
“Water, Plants and Other Ecologies” by Hamra Abbas held at The Barracks Art Museum, August 12th- September 9th, 2024
The exhibition “Water, Plants and Other Ecologies” by Lahore-based contemporary artist Hamra Abbas (b. 1976), curated by Imran Qureshi, ran from August 12th to September 9th, 2024, at The Barracks Art Museum, Nasir Bagh, Lahore. A critically acclaimed artist with an MA from NCA Lahore and Germany, Hamra has exhibited extensively worldwide and has numerous international shows and awards to her credit. Her work is part of various public and private collections globally, including the DBF Collection. Hamra Abbas also participated in the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024 with Mountain 5, the largest artwork in a series of mosaic panels depicting the world’s second-highest mountain, K2.
In “Water, Plants, and Other Ecologies,” Abbas reinterprets ancient stone inlay techniques, blending traditional art forms with contemporary environmental themes. Through large-scale stone carvings that evoke the Karakoram glaciers, she highlights the fragility of nature and the invisible labor of mountain porters, using lapis lazuli to symbolize endurance and time. Her art invites viewers to pause and reflect on humanity’s connection to the earth, bridging the ancient with the urgent concerns of the present.
Another solo show by Hamra Abbas opened on October 1st, 2024, at Canvas Gallery, Karachi. The show will remain open until Thursday, October 10th, 2024.
‘Otobong Nkanga: Cadence’ at The Museum of Modern Art, NY, USA, 10 October, 2024
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City has announced a new commission by Nigerian-Belgian artist Otobong Nkanga (b.1974). Titled “Otobong Nkanga: Cadence,” this site-specific installation will open in the Donald and Catherine Marron Family Atrium on October 10, 2024, marking Nkanga’s first solo presentation in New York.
Running through June 8, 2025, the exhibition promises an immersive environment that combines sculpture, sound, and text to explore the rhythms of ecological life cycles and social upheaval. The centerpiece of the installation will be a monumental tapestry suspended along the Atrium’s highest wall, showcasing Nkanga’s innovative use of custom metallic, natural, and synthetic fibers created using advanced digital weaving techniques.
In recent years, Otobong Nkanga has established herself as a prominent contemporary artist. Her work has been featured in major solo exhibitions, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (2018), the Martin-Gropius Bau in Berlin (2020), and Kunsthaus Bregenz (2021). She has also participated in numerous international exhibitions, such as Documenta 14 (2017) and the Venice Biennale (2019). Her work is included in the collection of the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation.
Latest Additions of Works by Emerging Artists and Prestigious Fellows to the DBF Collection
DBF continues its mission to champion emerging talent by acquiring works from globally recognized artists who have earned prestigious fellowships. Among the latest additions are Palestinian multidisciplinary artist Faissal El-Malak, a recipient of the Tashkeel Scholarship Fund and Warden’s Prize from Goldsmiths, University of London, and Congolese artist Fransix Tenda Lomba, a fellow at the renowned Rijksakademie in Amsterdam.
Palestinian multidisciplinary artist Faissal El-Malak’s (b.1988) practice is centered around themes of memory and the metaphysical, drawing from images and symbols that emerge from his subconscious through various healing and meditative practices. His recent body of work focuses on the idea of “windows” into the subconscious, using physical frames made in techniques like tufting, stained glass, and painted wood to provide the viewer a gateway into visions derived from dreams and healing sessions. The ornamental patterns and motifs within these works are reminiscent of traditional Palestinian embroidery, creating a tapestry of references to sacred art and childhood memories.
Fransix Tenda Lomba’s (b.1984) diverse practice includes drawing, painting, sculpture, and animated video. During his residency at the Rijksakademie, Lomba initiated a research project titled Le choc est là. Inspired by chocolate, this project was developed simultaneously in the Red Garden in Morocco and Switzerland. The title of the project has a double meaning, reflecting both the cultural and geopolitical shocks associated with the cocoa chain. The cocoa trade, originating from regions in West Africa and South America, has roots in colonialism, where the labor of enslaved people was exploited to meet European market demands. Lomba meticulously traces cocoa from its origins to consumers, highlighting the intertwined stories of personal and collective histories.
‘What the Sky Won’t Say, the Ground Will’ by Reena Saini Kallat at Richard Saltoun Gallery, on view until 24 October, 2024
Richard Saltoun Gallery presents “What the Sky Won’t Say, the Ground Will,” a solo exhibition by Reena Saini Kallat (b.1973, Delhi), one of India’s leading contemporary artists. Kallat is renowned for her critical exploration of national and geographic boundaries, geopolitical conflicts, and their lasting effects on humanity and the environment. Her work navigates the tension between division and connection, and this exhibition brings together key pieces from her most significant series created over the past decade.
In her “Hyphenated Lives” series, which has been showcased in prominent exhibitions such as her solo shows at the Manchester Museum (2017) and Kunstmuseum Thun (2023), Kallat examines the impacts of national and geographic divisions, geopolitical conflicts, and their environmental consequences. Her art specifically addresses international water disputes and the implications of hydro-hegemony, drawing attention to critical environmental and agricultural challenges. By focusing on river landscapes—natural lifelines that both separate and connect—Kallat reflects on their vital role in today’s fragile ecological and social context. Some works from this series have been collected in the DBF Collection.
