The 19th edition of the Asian Art Biennale, one of the grandest art extravaganzas in the world and the longest-running international art biennale event in Asia, all set to welcome the art enthusiasts from home and beyond at the National Art Gallery of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) Thursday.
The month-long art extravaganza will be inaugurated by Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who will virtually raise the curtain on the biennale as the chief guest of the opening ceremony at the National Theatre Hall of the academy at 10am.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid will chair the inaugural ceremony, which will be joined by Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur, President of the jury board of the event artist Rafiqun Nabi and jury board member Jaroslaw Suchan as special guests.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 will include 649 pieces of art created by 493 artists from 114 nations, including 149 Bangladeshi artists. Three grand prizes and six honourable mention prizes will be announced at the opening ceremony.
"This 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 is dedicated to the country's founding President and the father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who envisioned and established Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy which has been organising the Asian Art Biennale, the largest art exhibition in Asia, for the past 40 years," Liaquat Ali Lucky, BSA director general and chief coordinator of 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022, told the media Tuesday.
The 19th edition will showcase two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks such as paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, performance arts, installations and new media arts, crafted and presented by the participating native and foreign artists who channelled their contemporary thoughts through these artworks, he added.
The BSA had to postpone the 19th edition several times, according to Lucky. "Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to change the schedule for this biennale more than three times. We are really happy to finally host this grand festivity."
The 19th edition will feature the two-day international seminar "Home and Displacement" with the participation of local and foreign artists, art critics, jury and observers. The seminar will be held on Friday and Saturday at the National Art Gallery Auditorium and seminar rooms of the National Theatre Building of the BSA.
In addition to the main exhibition at the BSA, the Bangladesh National Museum will display 42 artworks of Bangladeshi legendary master artists from its collection as a part of the biennale.
The international jurors of the 19th Asian Art Biennale are Iwona Blazwick from the UK, Jagath Weerasinghe from Sri Lanka, artist Nurseren Tor from Turkey, and Jaroslaw from Poland.
The 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 will welcome visitors till January 7, every day from 11am to 8pm.
