Nadia and Rajeeb Samdani have done well: from February 5 through 8 this year, with the help of their curator Diana Campbell Betancourt, they successfully attracted over 138,000 visitors to Dhaka, 300 artists and speakers, and 700 international actors from the art world. The Samdanis’ investment allowed for free access to the fair, which locals made the most of — they represented 65% of the visitors.
H A P P E N I N G met Diana Campbell Betancourt — also the curator of the Samdani collection — who had at the time in residency at the FRAC Champagne-Ardenne still at the time led by Florence Derieux. She shared some of her thoughts on the magnitude of the event and its development since its first edition in 2013.
An important point raised, was the ambition of the Samdanis to change radically the way their country is perceived around the world. Some of their goals are include discovering young artists from Bangladesh and the region, and not only from the country’s two big neighbors, India and Pakistan. And to be surrounded by a new generation of global curators and others who are internationally recognized.
As with every edition, the Samdani Art Award recognized the work of an artist from Bangladesh. The 2016 edition honored Rasel Chowdhury. Daniel Bauman, director of the Zurich Kunsthalle, chose the winner from among 20 artists selected by Aaron Cezar, director of the Delfina Foundation, who is welcoming the winner in London for a three-month residency.
Among the artists exhibited at the Delfina Foundation are Waqas Khan, Simryn Gill, Prabhavathi Meppayil, Sandeep Mukherjee, Tino Sehgal and Dayanita Singh.
Now that the 2016 edition has drawn to a successful close, Campbell Betancourt is already preparing for 2018, and a big task lies ahead: logistics issues, exorbitant import taxes amounting to 120% of the value of the artwork and a shortage of art materials…
Bangladesh is continually writing its short history. Independent since 1971, the former East Pakistan is trapped between two giants. Within this context, having succeeded in putting in place a program which attracts collections like Pinault or curators like Catherine David in five short years, is a remarkable feat.
Lida Abdul, Speaking and Hearing (1999 – 2001) Video Courtesy of the artist and Giorgio Persano Gallery
And even if the comparison seems irrelevant, we have to acknowledge that the Dhaka Art Summit seems to have surpassed other regional cultural events, including the Kochi biennial.
Thanks to their proactive approach and quality of their work, the Samdanis — Rajeeb is a member of the Tate’s acquisition committee for south Asian art — and Campbell Betancourt have acquired legitimacy and the widespread international support.
