Chobi Mela, one of Asia’s most influential photography festivals, is set to open its 11th edition tomorrow (January 16), marking 25 years since its inception.
The festival organisers officially announced the 11th edition at a press conference held on Wednesday at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Co-organised by Drik Picture Library and Pathshala South Asian Media Institute,
Chobi Mela has grown into one of the world’s most inclusive photography platforms since 2000, bringing together artists, educators and cultural practitioners from across the globe.
Festival Chief Adviser Shahidul Alam, Festival Director ASM Rezaur Rahman, Artistic Directors and Curators Munem Wasif and Sarker Protick, and photographer-researcher Jannatul Mawa attended the briefing. International participants included guest curator Tanvi Mishra from India and Sudanese photographer Muhammad Salah Abdulaziz.
Speaking at the event, ASM Rezaur Rahman said the festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a renewed commitment to education and artistic exchange. He said Chobi Mela continues to create learning opportunities for Bangladeshi photographers through workshops, lectures and global collaborations.
Describing Chobi Mela as part of a broader cultural struggle, Shahidul Alam said the festival challenges power, imperialism and dominance through visual narratives.
“From the July mass uprising, we expected a different Bangladesh. That change must also come through cultural, social and educational systems,” he said, adding that the festival will continue to raise critical questions regardless of sponsorship.
“From the very beginning, Chobi Mela has maintained a close association with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and the Academy always hosted the festival. After the previous fascist government arrested me in 2018, the Academy could no longer host Chobi Mela.”
“This year, after many years, we have finally returned to Shilpakala, and we are happy about it,” Shahidul Alam told The Times.
Munem Wasif said this year’s edition reflects global political and social realities, with works addressing issues ranging from the Palestinian struggle for liberation to Africa’s colonial history of racism.
Curator Sarker Protick said the festival continues to honour pioneers of Bangladeshi photography and noted that the Bangladesh National Museum is showcasing a retrospective of late photographer Amanul Haq.
Jannatul Mawa highlighted an exhibition focused on women’s participation and visibility during the July mass uprising, describing it as an important documentation of contemporary history.
The festival will begin tomorrow with the Chobi Mela Rally at 3:00 pm in front of the National Press Club and march towards the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Organisers will hold the opening ceremony at the National Art Gallery Auditorium, with Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Adviser to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, attending as Guest of Honour, and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Director General Rezauddin Stalin as Special Guest.
Chobi Mela 11 will run for 16 days until January 31 and, during this period, feature nine exhibitions across five venues in Dhaka: Bangladesh National Museum, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Alliance Française de Dhaka, DrikPath Bhobon and the Bangladesh National Parliament.
Meanwhile, this year’s edition brings together 58 participants from 18 countries across five continents under the theme ‘Re’, a prefix that, in essence, suggests repetition, reversal, renewal and reopening.
Beyond the exhibitions, the festival will host artist talks, panel discussions and lectures, thereby allowing audiences to engage directly with international photographers and curators. The festival will organise six intensive workshops alongside an educational outreach programme from January 25 to 29, which will involve around 1,000 schoolchildren and further reinforce its educational mission.
