A duet exhibition “Automated Subjectivity” by artists of two generations seasoned artist Mustafa Zaman and young talent Rafiqul Shuvo is on display at the Bengal Art Lounge till September 3. The unusual exhibit is a thought provoking display for the art lovers of the city to appreciate and ponder on. Five sculptures of Zaman and Shuvo are being showcased, along with four video installations, photos, prints and drawings. The artists used various mediums in the process of the portraying some burning issues of modern world.
When talking about the out of the box exhibition, curator and participant of the exhibition, internationally acclaimed artist Zaman, states: “The exhibition ‘Automated Subjectivity’ addresses the subjects or bodies that conform and also those that develops behavioural patterns of human psychology and in a greater aspect, the social system.
In modern time, fast-paced communication and a drive towards a fabricated destiny make us all acting like agitated robots as self-destructive automatas.”
Inspired by the book “Capitalism and Schizophrenia” a 1972 book by the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, Zaman developed the concept of the exhibition.
Zaman’s experimental artworks are done by working with photographs, placing tracing paper on top of it and drawing, sketching and installing with fairy lights in the canvas calls attention to the piece. The amazing innovative creations, done by incorporating concept and voice, interpret various social issues that are predominant in a society.
His series work “Full blown Entities” captures the portrayal of women in a male dominated media. The sculpture “Candle Light Vigil” made out of wax and extruded polystyrene foam is of a man raising his hands up in the sky. Both hands of the innovative and fascinating sculpture is made out of wax and doubles as candles, the flame of which will be continuously alight during the twelve days of the exhibit.
Zaman’s co-artist, Shuvo is a young promising talent who emphasises medium as a language. His video installations are self reflective, as each medium has been used to convey a message. The artist expresses his inner motivation by using hair as a symbol of body.
The editor of “Depart,” an English language art quarterly, Zaman obtained his degree in 1988from Department of Print Making, Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. Shuvo gained his MFA from the Department of Sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka in 2012
