Ashmolean Museum and Samdani Art Foundation Launch Permanent Programme for Bangladeshi Contemporary Artists
A new long-term collaboration has been established between the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford and the Samdani Art Foundation to promote Bangladeshi artists through the Ashmolean Samdani Visiting Artist programme. This groundbreaking initiative, the first of its kind from a prominent international museum, will host a Bangladeshi artist for a two-week residency each year. The first artist selected for this program is Munem Wasif, who plans to investigate the history of colonial Bengal during his residency. Additionally, the partnership seeks to create a specialized collection of contemporary Bangladeshi art, beginning with pieces by Ashfika Rahman. The Samdani Art Foundation, founded in 2011 by Nadia and Rajeeb Samdani, has a history of working with the Ashmolean and supports various art projects both in Bangladesh and globally.
Fatti principali
- The Ashmolean Museum of the University of Oxford and the Samdani Art Foundation announced a long-term partnership called the Ashmolean Samdani Visiting Artist programme.
- Each year a Bangladeshi artist will spend two weeks in Oxford, accessing the Ashmolean's collections and archives and engaging with curators.
- The first invited artist is Munem Wasif, a photographer, curator and educator based in Dhaka.
- The partnership also includes building a dedicated collection of contemporary Bangladeshi art, with works by Ashfika Rahman already acquired with the foundation's support.
- The Samdani Art Foundation was founded by Nadia and Rajeeb Samdani and began its work in 2011, 15 years before the agreement.
- In March 2026, the foundation supported the first UK solo exhibition of Soma Surovi Jannat, winner of the 2020 Samdani Art Award.
- In November 2026, the Samdani Art Award will be presented at Kunsthalle Basel with eight finalists in dialogue with Basel-area artists as part of Regionale 27.
- The first Photosynthesis residency at Srihatta in Sylhet, Bangladesh, is scheduled for December 2026 with Indian artist Himali Singh Soin.
Entità
Artisti
- Munem Wasif
- Ashfika Rahman
- Soma Surovi Jannat
- Himali Singh Soin
- Nadia Samdani
- Rajeeb Samdani
- Mallica Kumbera Landrus
- Diana Campbell
- Nadia Samdani MBE
Istituzioni
- Ashmolean Museum
- University of Oxford
- Samdani Art Foundation
- Dhaka Art Summit
- Samdani Art Award
- Kunsthalle Basel
- Regionale 27
- Srihatta – Samdani Art Centre and Sculpture Park
- Photosynthesis
- Getty Foundation
- Tate St Ives
- LUMA Foundation
- The Mothership
- Pivo Salvador
- Denniston Hill
- Bengal Foundation
- Srihatta
- FAD Magazine
Luoghi
- Oxford
- United Kingdom
- Bangladesh
- Dhaka
- Sylhet
- Basel
- Switzerland
- France
- Morocco
- Brazil
- United States
- London
- Bengal