Unlearning the Book - Dhaka | Bangladesh

Unlearning the Book is a multidisciplinary art project emerging from an experimental artistic inquiry that rethinks the idea of the book through up cycled textile and socio-cultural storytelling. The Bangladeshi chapter of the project is supported by Alliance Française de Dhaka and organized in collaboration with Uronto Artist Community and Art Initiative Bangladesh.

The project culminated as an interactive exhibition bringing together 27 Bangladeshi artists from diverse disciplines and practices, the project explores how narratives can exist beyond the familiar bound and paper-based structure of books.

The exhibition is curated by Fahea Zeba and Sadya Mizan. The inaugural ceremony was held in the presence of Mr. Frédéric Inza, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of France in Dhaka, M. François Chambraud, Director of Alliance Française de Dhaka, and Zareen Mahmud Hosein, Founder and Executive Director of HerStory Foundation, alongside artists, cultural practitioners, and visitors.

The project began through an intensive peer-learning workshop and brainstorming process, where artists collectively questioned the linear and institutionalized structure of the book. Revisiting the material histories of books and oral or performative storytelling. Within this process, up cycled and other various textile emerged as a central material language in reconstructing the idea of the book.

The works presented in the exhibition embody experimental book forms that hold personal stories, cultural memories, heritage narratives, and reflections on contemporary social realities. Rather than presenting a conventional gallery display, the exhibition space is transformed into a storytelling room, inviting visitors to sit, spend time with the works, and explore unconventional books through tactile engagement and material presence.

The exhibition also includes interactive areas where visitors can share their own memories and stories, contributing to an evolving collective narrative. Throughout the exhibition period, the venue hosts interactive workshops, story-reading sessions, tarot reading experiences, and creative engagements, inviting audiences to actively participate in the process of questioning and reimagining the book, upcycling and storytelling.

Participating Artists:

Abrar Shadman, Ahsana Angona, Alia Kamal, Esha Ahmed, Faiza Fairooz, Farah Naz Moon, Farhana Ferdausi, Fouzia Mahin Choudhury, Hridita Anisha, Jayatu Chakma, Jinnatun Jannat, Kazmin Samia, Lekh Nesa Khatun, Mahadi Masud, Mahmuda Siddika, Marzia Bentee Rahman, Nazm Anwr, Nazmul Hossen Nayon, Nodi Judith Gomes, Nur A Alaa Siddique, Papia Sarwar, Rafia Mahjabeen, Rituparna Saha, Rokeya Sultana, Tahmina Hafiz Lisa, Toufikul Islam, Venessa Kaiser.

Exhibition Details

Venue: Alliance Française de Dhaka, Gulshan

Exhibition Duration: 10–20 March 2026

Visiting Hours: Monday–Saturday, 11 AM – 8 PM