A remarkable number of viewers are watching the display of local and foreign photographers at the seven venues of the ongoing international photography festival Chobi Mela every day.
The number of visitors is increasing day by day. And on the holidays — Friday and Saturday — all the seven venues become overcrowded.
Beginning on January 21, the sixth edition of Chobi Mela featuring over 500 photographs from 30 countries across the world is simultaneously going on in the National Art Gallery, Drik Gallery, Alliance Francasie de Dhaka, Goethe-Institut, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, British Council and Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka University.
It was found in the past few days that the visitors from different background were thronging the three venues most — National Art Gallery, Faculty of Fine Arts and Drik Gallery.
Both the National Art Gallery and Drik Gallery display most of the entries of the festival, which is the main reason behind the attraction for these two venues. Dhaka University area, on the other hand, always remains overcrowded for several activities. And the photography exhibition on the campus has become an added attraction.
According to the organisers, the number of visitors crossed one thousand on Friday at the National Art Gallery, which displays 290 entries from 19 countries.
Biswas Karabi Farhana, a teacher of North South University, who visited all the venues, told New Age, ‘The festival showcases quality realistic and experimental works.’
Mahbub Bin Habib, a private service holder visiting the National Art Gallery, told New Age, ‘The show offers photographs representing diverse cultures across the globe. Which is why I’ve come here to watch the show?’
‘I found a series of photographs from Georgia and India most interesting,’ he added.
A primary schoolteacher, Nazrul Islam, told New Age at Faculty of Fine Arts, ‘I found the show really interesting.’
A private university student, Adnan Sharif, while visitintg Alliance Francaise de Dhaka’s La Galerie, said, ‘It is a big opportunity for us to know much about culture of different counties.’
Chobi Mela’s curatorial director ASM Rezaur Rahman told New Age that an estimated two lakh visitors were expected to see the exhibitions both at different galleries and mobile exhibition at different places in the city.
He also said they had taken different initiatives to reach out to people of all walks of life by pasting posters in different areas and launching campaign on internet to draw attentions of people on the globe.
