“Archer”, “Durniber”, and “BijoyTurja” are three pieces of installation art that attract a great number of visitors coming to Bangabandhu Military Museum. An endeavour of creating installation art in a cubist form by Architect Tanzim Hasan Salim and his team has given a new life to the tired tradition of Bangladeshi art. It is also a pioneering work of art made by an architect in any museum. These artworks in the Victory Arena Gallery at Bangabandhu Military Museum represent “Cubism”, a revolutionary art movement that took West Europe by storm a century ago.
History of Cubism
There are debates about the origin of the name “Cubism”. Historian Alex Danchev states in his book ‘Georges Braque: A Life' that it was a comment made by art critic Louis Vauxcelles that gave birth to the term in 1908. He once described some of Georges Braque's, a famous French painter, works as reducing everything to “geometric outlines, to cubes”. While art historian Anne Gantefuehrer-Trier states in her book “Cubism” that the origin of the term can be attributed to Henri Matisse, who also was an influential French artist. He was not a “cubist” himself but used the phrase “with little cubes” to refer to one of Georges Braque's paintings in 1908. However, it is commonly accepted that cubism was born when Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, one of the most celebrated artists in history, painted ‘Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' in 1907.
Cubism is widely considered to be one of the most referenced styles in the past century. But it had a turbulent beginning. Art historian Stoyan V. Sgourev notes that cubist paintings were seen as “raw and cacophonic”, and even the fabled ‘Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' rarely enjoyed public exhibition until the Museum of Modern Art in New York, USA acquired it in 1939. To a general reader, its effect on the art movement and its status as one of the most influential artworks of the 20th century might seem perplexing. However, the reason for that influence despite garnering polarising reception can be attributed to the artistic technique used in cubism. According to French painter Jean Metzinger, cubism analyses, breaks up and reassembles the subject in an abstract form; it is depicted from a multitude of viewpoints instead of a single fixed one. This allows the subject to be represented in a greater context. As an idea, it was revolutionary and challenged narratives that had dominated art for centuries. French art critic Guillaume Apollinaire said that “Cubism differs from earlier painting in that it is not an art of imitation, but an art of imagination”. Today, it is seen not merely as a style or look, but as a movement that provided artists with a radical and surreal method of depicting reality.
Cubism as Inspiration
The three installation arts at Bangabandhu Military Museum symbolise the military history of Bengal. The idea of creating them in cubist form was derived from the sense of reusing the scrap iron plates and the weapon parts used in the interior decoration of the museum. As mentioned beforehand, cubism makes for an abstract and multi-layered view of a subject. Here, the segmentation of the geometric planes depicts the Bengalees' long walk of struggle. The symphony of their geometrical shapes depicts the relativity of change and evolution over time. It also shows the graceful beauty of machinery and angularity. Together, they tell the tales of the country's thousand-year-old military history. From the primary idea put forward by the museum authority, a team of artists under the leadership of the architect turned the installation arts from design to reality in an integrated manner.
1. Archer
“Archer” art is a symbol of the use of arrows as projectiles, which is thought to have appeared at the end of the Stone Age. The Egyptians in 5000 BC extensively used them in hunting and warfare. Archery held a significant place in ancient Bengal as well. Until the end of the 15th century AD, the Bengal army fought primarily with bows and arrows. The use of bows and arrows as silent weapons to hit the enemy requires a unique combination of mechanical and muscular energy. The installation art depicts the elastic strength of the muscle and an arrow waiting to be shot. The idea behind this installation art named ‘Archer' is derived from the primitive geometric concept of bows and arrows and the posture of an archer. The inherent shape and the use of the weapon are integral parts of its beauty which are reflected in this installation art. It is a multi-dimensional manifestation of the combination of elastic energy and a human's muscular energy.
2. Durniber
This installation art depicts the Bengalees' journey of struggle from the time of the Kaibarta Revolt to the Liberation War. Beginning from its violent birth, both the unarmed mass and the military have fought in this journey side by side. The peace-loving mass of this country has sometimes taken up arms against oppression, for self-determination, and sometimes for language. The spirit of these protests of people from all walks of life culminated in the Liberation War. It was a tale full of tragedies and sacrifices, but it ended in euphoria. This installation art can be called the bearer of Nazrul's (the rebel poet of Bangladesh) rebellious thoughts. Over time, there have been attempts to express this procession of struggle in a somewhat abstract form. This installation art embodies the ideas of futurism, constructionism, and geometric construction of the early 20th century.
3. Bijoy Turja
Civilization moves forward with the combination of instruments and humans. The installation art ‘Bijoy Turja' depicts the strength of the Bangladesh Armed Forces through their journey from the Liberation War to the present. Its angular shape and the segmented surfaces represent a combined military power in the land, in the water, and in the sky. It's an abstract attempt at displaying the pride and glory of the armed forces instead of exhibiting armaments. The installation art also reflects the invention of automatic firearms which transformed warfare forever.
Conclusion
Bangabandhu Military Museum has emerged as a bold statement on both the country's architecture and the intent of the armed forces. As a military museum, its primary goal is to preserve the bravery and the glorious history of the armed forces. What makes it bold is their intention to endorse art in a manner which combines art with military history, two worlds virtually unlike one another. It is only fitting that a revolutionary and radical style of art gets to be the medium of that statement. When cubism appeared for the first time over a hundred years ago, it threw away conventions of art that had prevailed for centuries. It introduced a method of story-telling that went on to change the world of art forever. It is only fitting that such a method of art movement gets honoured in the endeavour of art endorsement by a military history museum. “Archer”, “Durniber”, and “Bijoy Turja” – the three cubist installation arts embody the same spirit. They are a momentous addition to the museum's collection of modern and contemporary art. It is hoped that it can set an example in widening the scope of collecting and preserving modern artworks of significance.
- Major Mohammad Sazzad Hossain Bhuiyan, AEC is a serving military officer