The 11th edition of the Chobi Mela photography festival has opened in Dhaka, Bangladesh, under the curatorial direction of artists Munem Wasif and Sarker Protick. With the theme 'Re,' the festival presents work from 58 artists across nine exhibitions, aiming to explore renewal and tenacity in lens-based storytelling following the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the July 2024 uprising.
The Chobi Mela, a Dhaka-based international photography festival, is taking place in Bangladesh amid political upheaval following the 2024 'Monsoon Revolution' that toppled the authoritarian government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Co-organized by photographer and curator Munem Wasif with Sarker Protick, the festival explores themes of revolution, rebuilding, and historical repetition through themed exhibitions and solo shows by international and Bangladeshi artists, including Bani Abidi, Myriam Boulos, and Mong Mong Shay. The event occurs at a tense time, with mob violence targeting arts groups in December 2024 drawing UN condemnation, yet organizers insist on addressing the region's current crises.