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.
This festival matters because it represents a rare moment of artistic experimentation and cross-border dialogue in a post-revolutionary context where Bangladeshi artists are emerging from years of state-controlled funding and propaganda under Hasina's regime. By connecting local struggles with global issues—such as war, displacement, and land-grabbing—Chobi Mela challenges nationalist silos and fosters a South Asian imaginary rooted in locality. It also tests the resilience of cultural expression amid political uncertainty, offering a model for how art can interrogate societal change and solidarity in times of collapse.