3-6 October 2019
Frieze LIVE, London
7-14 February 2020
Dhaka Art Summit, Bangladesh
In October of 2019, Bagri Foundation is pleased to present a new commission by Shezad Dawood to premiere as part of Frieze LIVE and tour to Dhaka Art Summit in February 2020.
This newly commissioned multi-layered performance work entitled University of NonDualism, is a series of collaborations built around a ‘stage set’ conceived by Dawood which takes its starting point from the work of Muzharul Islam, a modernist architect, urban planner, educator and activist hailing from Bangladesh (1923–2012). Considered the Grand Master of regional modernism in South Asia, Islam’s style and influence dominated Bangladesh’s architectural scene in the 1960s and 70s. Islam was instrumental in bringing major US architects such as Louis Kahn, Richard Neutra, Stanley Tigerman, Paul Rudolph and Robert Boughey to work in Dhaka.
Referencing Islam’s legacy and his approach to non-dualism, the project enacts a series of characteristic dynamic collaborations with fashion designer Priya Ahluwalia (Ahluwalia Studio), electronic music producer patten and choreographer Adrienne Hart (Neon Dance). Dawood creates a synergy between these artists’ cross-disciplinary approaches akin to Islam who regularly collaborated with artists, poets and singers.
You can read the full details of the work and bios of each collaborator here in the Press Release.
Event Details for Frieze can be viewed here and Dhaka Art Summit here.
About Shezad Dawood:
Shezad Dawood works across disciplines to deconstruct systems of image, language, site and narrative. Using the editing process as a method to explore both meaning and form, his practice often involves collaboration and knowledge exchange, mapping across geographic borders and communities. Recent solo exhibitions include: Leviathan, Bluecoat Liverpool (2019) Leviathan, Mostyn, Wales (2018); Leviathan, Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Venice (2017); Timothy Taylor, London (2016); Pioneer Works, Brooklyn (2015); Fig.2 at the ICA studio, London (2015); Parasol Unit, London and OCAT Xi’an, China (2014), Modern Art Oxford (2012). And group exhibitions include: Sharjah Biennale SB14 (2019); Gwangju Biennial (2018); Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Delhi (2018); Rubin Museum of Art, New York (2018); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2016); Taipei Biennial, Marrakech Biennial, MACBA Barcelona (all 2014).
About Frieze
Frieze is a media and events company that comprises three publications, frieze magazine, Frieze Masters Magazine and Frieze Week; and four international art fairs, Frieze London, Frieze LA, Frieze New York and Frieze Masters; a programme of courses and talks at Frieze Academy, and frieze.com – the definitive resource for contemporary art and culture. Frieze London is an art fair that takes place each October in Regent’s Park and features more than 160 of the world’s leading galleries. Visitors can view and buy art from over 1,000 of today’s leading artists, and experience the fair’s critically acclaimed curated sections and Talks programme.
About Dhaka Art Summit
An international non-commercial research and exhibition platform for art and architecture related to South Asia, the Dhaka Art Summit seeks to re-examine how we think about these art forms in a regional and wider context, with a focus on Bangladesh. Free for all and ticketless, the Summit’s 2018 edition drew over 300,000 local and 800 international visitors over its nine-day duration.Founded in 2012, DAS is produced and supported by the Samdani Art Foundation and its network, with additional support from the Bangladesh government through the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, and partnerships with the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy as well as the National Museum and National Art Gallery of Bangladesh. DAS is led by Chief Curator Diana Campbell Betancourt and local and international collaborators, invited to unlock new areas of inquiry through exhibitions, experimental writing initiatives, film and talks schedules, all supported by an ambitious commissions programme.
