A group exhibition titled ‘Unlearning the Book’ opened at the Gulshan gallery of Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) on Tuesday, bringing together 27 multidisciplinary Bangladeshi artists to rethink the conventional idea of the book through textile and material storytelling.
Curated by Fareha Zeba and Sadya Mizan, the exhibition emerged from an experimental peer-learning project where participating artists explored alternative ways of understanding the book beyond its familiar paper-based form.
The inauguration ceremony took place on March 10 at 5:00 pm and was attended by Frédéric Inza, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of France in Dhaka; François Chambraud, Director of AFD; and Zareen Mahmud Hosein, along with other distinguished guests. The opening was followed by an iftar and a dialogical book session featuring participating artists and guest speakers.
“Unlearning the Book” is conceived as a multidisciplinary exploration that challenges the linear structure of books. The project draws inspiration from ancient material histories of knowledge such as palm-leaf manuscripts, scroll traditions, textile archives and oral or performative storytelling practices.
Through curatorial guidance and collaborative imagination, textile has emerged as a central material language in the exhibition. The participating artists present experimental book forms that incorporate tactile and spatial storytelling, reflecting personal narratives, cultural memories, heritage histories and contemporary social realities.
Rather than presenting works in a conventional gallery format, the exhibition space has been transformed into an interactive storytelling environment. Visitors are encouraged to sit, explore the unconventional book forms and spend time engaging with the layered narratives embedded in textile and material experiments, according to AFD.
The venue also offers spaces where audiences can share their own stories and memories while participating in workshops and discussion sessions that challenge and reinterpret the traditional idea of books and storytelling.
As part of the opening-day programme, a dialogical book session was held at 6:40 pm featuring participating artist Abrar Shadman and guest speaker Mahenaz Chowdhury. A tarot reading session by Arjeetaa Dutta Ichchha followed from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, allowing visitors to sign up and participate.
Throughout the exhibition period, the venue will host a series of interactive activities including upcycling workshops, interactive painting sessions, tarot readings and story-reading events, inviting audiences to engage actively in the process of rethinking the book as a material and narrative form.
The exhibition features works by Abrar Shadman, Ahsana Angona, Alia Kamal, Esha Ahmed, Faiza Fairooz, Farah Naz Moon, Farhana Ferdausi, Fouzia Mahin Chowdhury, Hridita Anisha, Jayatu Chakma, Jinnatun Jannat, Kazmin Samia, Lekh Nesa Khatun, Mahadi Masud, Mahmuda Siddika, Marzia Bentee Rahman, Nazm Anwr, Nazmul Hossen Nayon, Nodi Judith Gomes, Nur A Alaa Siddique, Papia Sarwar, Rafia Mahjabeen, Rituparna Saha, Rokeya Sultana, Tahmina Hafiz Lisa, Toufikul Islam and Venessa Kaiser.
The exhibition will remain open to visitors until March 20, Monday to Saturday, between 11:00 am and 8:00 pm. Interactive workshops and story-reading sessions will be announced regularly at the venue.
