In Bangladesh, sustaining continuity in the visual arts remains a persistent challenge, with many initiatives losing momentum once exhibitions close. Seeking to counter this trend, ARK Reepon, a respected name in the country’s art scene, launched ARTcon in 2015.
A decade on, ARTcon is widely recognised by artists and art organisers as one of Bangladesh’s leading art consultancy and curatorial platforms. Marking its 10-year journey, founder ARK Reepon spoke to The TIMES of Bangladesh about the organisation’s beginnings, growth and future ambitions.
Reepon’s professional foundation was shaped during a decade-long tenure at Bengal Foundation and Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts. His expertise in exhibition design and art publishing was further developed through collaborations with SKIRA in Milan and later with Somogy in Paris.
“ARTcon stands for Art Consultancy. While working at Gallery Cosmos and later as the founding chief creative officer of Cosmos Books, my involvement in art publishing and creative direction deepened,” Reepon said. “During a book project on Shahabuddin Ahmed in France, I met Dominique Stall, an art expert and editor. When he later visited Bangladesh, he identified gaps in our art ecosystem and encouraged me to start an agency dedicated to supporting artists.”
Reepon added that his aim was to manage exhibitions, catalogues and archives, allowing artists to focus on their creative practice. The late legendary artist Kalidas Karmakar was the first to place his trust in ARTcon.
Since then, ARTcon has curated and managed several major exhibitions, including Alluvial Return by Kalidas Karmakar at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Alluvial Soul.Soil.Symbol by Kalidas Karmakar at the Bangladesh National Museum, Photoseum by Nasir Ali Mamun, and Shahabuddin: A Retrospective 1973–2023 by Shahabuddin Ahmed.
The agency has also produced significant publications such as KALIDAS: Alluvial Soul.Soil.Symbol (2025), SM Sultan: The Cosmic Journey of a Fugitive (2018), Shahabuddin: A Retrospective 1973–2023 (2023), Gentle Grass (2022) and Face of Life (2025). Its three-volume publication for the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2020 featured nearly 500 artists from 114 countries.
A major turning point came during the Covid-19 pandemic, when ARTcon became the virtual exhibition partner of Chobi Mela International Festival of Photography 2021. By developing one of the festival’s largest virtual reality platforms, the agency expanded its reach to global audiences.
This initiative laid the groundwork for ARTcon’s growing virtual archive, which now preserves exhibitions such as Baseer: An Eloquent Mind, Shahabuddin: A Retrospective 1973–2023, the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh, and Duality by Brihatta Art Foundation at Dhaka Art Summit 2023. The platform also features studio visits with artists including Kazi Ghiyasuddin, Shahid Kabir, Kalidas Karmakar and Ronni Ahmed.
Over the years, ARTcon has collaborated with institutions including the Bangladesh National Museum, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Alliance Française de Dhaka, Bengal Foundation, Gallery Cosmos, EMK Centre, IGCC, DRIK and Brihatta Art Foundation.
Rooted in exhibitions, publications and the responsible stewardship of artworks, ARTcon has evolved into a multifaceted art agency focused on preservation, access and authenticity. Beyond curation, it manages private sales, online auctions and one of the country’s most significant artwork image archives, while continuing to build its own collection through exhibitions, acquisitions and artist gifts.
As ARTcon enters its second decade, its vision centres on positioning Bangladeshi art on a global platform, expanding the reach of its publications and archives, and using technology to overcome physical and geographical barriers.
From safeguarding the legacies of master artists to creating virtual exhibitions for international audiences, ARTcon continues to redefine the role of an art agency, serving as both a custodian of Bangladesh’s cultural memory and a bridge between its artistic heritage and the wider world.
