Showcasing the fifty year legacy of uniquely designed old Bangladeshi furniture, Brihatta Art Foundation has lifted the curtain on ‘Sthiti: Objects in Conversation’ on Saturday at its Mukti curatorial space at Mukti Tannery-1, Hazaribagh Tannery area in the capital.

Featuring 33 unique and diverse pieces of furniture made by 17 artists, architects, artisans and designers symbolizing different stories, emotions and memories and emotions, the exhibition is the first design exhibition in the country that is highlighting the cultural consequences of furniture as a design object.

With the determination to start a new dialogue behind the scenes regarding the craftsmanship of the furniture, the eccentric exhibition is jointly curated by Bangladeshi artist-art educator-curator and Brihatta co-founder Bishwajit Goswami, Korean-American architect and designer Diane Rhyu Taylor and US-based interior architect-interior stylist Ulrike Fellner.

The exhibition is showcasing the multidimensional works of several renowned and revered architects-artists and artisans including the late pioneer architect Muzharul Islam, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture winner Marina Tabassum, urbanist-architect and architectural historian Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, late eminent architect-educator Bashirul Haq, renowned architect-educator Shamsul Wares, architect-urban planner-educator Nahas Ahmed Khalil, painter and printmaker, sculptor and founder of Kalakendra Gallery Wakilur Rahman, architect and educator Saif Ul Haque, architect-photographer and educator BKS Inan, architect Jubair Hasan, carpenter-builder Alamgir, architect Nitee Mahbub, sculptor Tejosh Halder Josh, architect Salauddin Ahmed, Roofliners Studio of Architecture, Diane Taylor and Bishwajit Goswami.

Describing the initiative to UNB, curator Diane Taylor said, “The works in this project which span fifty years of designed items post-independence, offer testament to their social, economic, and cultural settings, reacting to a society in transition. Organized around four thematic inquiries, the exhibition reveals investigations about materiality and climate, reductivism and resources, heritage and modernity, and a philosophical and spiritual quest for the collective self.”

“The ‘Objects in Conversation’ showcases Bangladeshi design that radiates originality, modesty, and restraint. Reflecting on the designs and understanding the items necessitates a consideration of the diverse settings in which they were born. We encourage the audience to join us in this interaction, which also serves as a celebration of a shared and recurring journey,” Bishwajit Goswami told UNB.

Brihatta co-founder Nusrat Mahmud said, “Exploring relationships across disciplines and generations, the exhibition elaborates on the various ways in which culture, materiality, and philosophical inquiries emerge to form personal and collective design identities. As an artist-run, collaborative art platform, the Brihatta Art Foundation supports the collective efforts of artists, architects, designers, producers, and researchers in inaugurating a shared dialogue about design in Bangladesh.”

The exhibition is also hosting art tours in its Mukti gallery for students and art-enthusiasts from different institutions, including Gojmohal Tannery High School, Nalonda High School, Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Art, BUET, Brac University, North South University, ULAB and Cartoon People.

‘Sthiti: Objects in Conversation’ will welcome the visitors till June 26, every day from 3 pm to 8 pm.