The summer session of Art and culture show, the Setouchi International Art Triennal, a regular venture in Takamatsu, Kagawa in Japan, is honouring one country of Bangladesh this year. The 44-day long event began on July 20 and invited a number of the best traditional artists and craftsmen of Bangladesh to showcase and teach about their crafts and their culture to the Triennale’s visitors, under the general name of Bangladesh Factory.
Though Setouchi is often referred to as an “art festival,” plenty of other events also take place across the islands, including lectures, theatre, dance performances and concerts. Dhriti Nartanalaya took part in the festival and came back recently after completing an 11-day trip. Warda Rihab, director of Dhriti Nartanalaya shares her experience with the Dhaka Tribune after returning from Japan.
“We performed every single day on five dance pieces and in our 11 days tour to present our culture. We performed folk music, Tagore, Nazrul and other genres of songs. Most of the dance pieces were composed in classical, contemporary, folk and other forms,” she said.
“The whole island has been entitled 'Bengal Island.' There are more than 100 artists, including 15 noted painters, 45 textile, ceramic and rickshaw painters, and 55 singers and dancers participating in the 44-day summer session. People are drawn from remote areas. They were painting on their respective subjects in the exhibition. Some of them were making boats with fabric, Jamdani weaving, nokshi kantha, bus and poster painters; folk musicians were making their own instruments like, ektara, dotara and flutes; rickshaws were displayed, and much more,” Warda added.
Setouchi International Art Triennale 2013 is one of the largest international art festivals in Japan. The first Triennale, held in 2010, was a grand success.
