‘Letters to the City’ underway at Batighar, explores women’s relationship with the cities

Dhaka Memory and Mongol Deep Foundation has organised an exhibition styled as "Letters to the city" to explore the complex relations of women and girls with the cities and initiate organised conversations about gender-equal cities. 

The exhibition kicked off on 18 March with the participating artists, illustrators and other guests in attendance, reads a press release.

The exhibition is underway at "Batighar – Smrititay Sharanay Aly Zaker" located at House – 63, Road – 7B, Block H, Banani, Dhaka and it will continue till 26 March. A group of 30 artists and illustrators are taking part in the exhibition with their artworks. This exhibition is open for all.              

In August 2021, the Dhaka Memory team announced an open invitation called "An Open Letter to My City" for women and girls to share thoughts and aspirations about their cities.

In response, around 129 letters were submitted by women and girls belonging to different backgrounds and age groups. The letters collectively resonate with an intricate narrative of emotions, struggles, nostalgia, wishes, insights, despair, hope, and love.

The emotions expressed in the letters create room for rethinking gender relations with the cities and dominant practices, reads the statement.

Those emotions, thoughts, and aspirations were then portrayed into artworks by around 30 artists and illustrators under a long-term interdisciplinary project idea called "Women and the city." These artworks have been put on display at the exhibition for art connoisseurs and cross-sections of people to raise awareness about the challenges faced by girls and women living/working in the cities of Bangladesh.

The artworks have reflected how women and girls have to negotiate and map out their movements based on various factors such as safety and public amenities.  

Apart from exhibiting the letters and artworks, Dhaka Memory team is organising an open studio with different activities such as collective drawing, discussions, letter reading, and writing sessions, reads the press release.

Artists and architects will partake and engage with the visitors.  Artist Wakilur Rahman, Rezwana Hasan, Erina Jahan Meghla will take part in some sessions. Music group Kaaktaal has engaged with the visitors in one of the evening sessions.

A concert will also be held by the promising brand Post Office Society on 26 March, with which the curtain will fall on this exhibition.