Dhaka Art Summit

We are delighted to share that four works by Tondra artist and long-term Dhaka Art Summit collaborator Joydeb Roaja are currently featured in Gathering Ground, a permanent collection exhibition at Tate, London.

The works, from the Go Back to Roots series (2020), are part of Tate’s collection, gifted by Samdani Art Foundation's co-founders Rajeeb Samdani () and Nadia Samdani MBE ( )

Roaja’s practice reflects on Indigenous knowledge, land, and the ongoing struggles of Jumma communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Through drawing and performance, he engages deeply with questions of identity, erasure, and resistance.

We are proud to see these important works presented within such a significant international context.

Congratulations to our DAS artists and collaborators Adebunmi Gbadebo, Annalee Davis, Himali Singh Soin, Kader Attia, Kemang Wa Lehulere, Otobong Nkanga, RAW Material Company, Sawangwongse Yawnghwe, Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn, and Wardha Shabbir on being invited to the 61st Venice Art Biennale, titled In Minor Keys, from 9 May to 22 November 2026.

Curated by Koyo Kouoh, our past Dhaka Art Summit collaborator, who was instrumental in RAW Material Company’s fourth biannual symposium, Condition Report 4: Stepping Out of Line; Art Collectives and Translocal Parallelism, at DAS 2020, which fostered dialogue between Bangladeshi and Global South collectives.

By placing these practices in dialogue, the exhibition envisions simultaneities across regions, revealing how artists, even when geographically far apart, move in parallel currents of thought, experimentation, and imagination.

Photograph 1: Adebunmi Gbadebo, True Blue: Peter, Peter 2 and Phillis, DAS 2020.

Photograph 2: Annalee Davis, F is for Frances, DAS 2020.

Photograph 3: Himali Singh Soin, We Are Opposite Like That, DAS 2020.

Photograph 4: Kemang Wa Lehulere from Centre for Historical Reenactment, Condition Report 4, DAS 2020.

Photograph 5: Otobong Nkanga, Landversation, DAS 2020.

Photograph 6: Condition Report 4: Stepping Out of Line; Art Collectives and Translocal Parallelism, envisioned by Koyo Kouoh, Marie-Hélène Pereira, and Dulcie Abrahams Altass of RAW Material Company (Dakar), at DAS 2020.

Photograph 7: Sawangwongse Yawnghwe, The O***m Parallax II, DAS 2020.

Photograph 8: Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn, Solidarities Between the Reincarnated, DAS 2020.

Photograph 9: Wardha Shabbir, part of the exhibition Ex-Ist, DAS 2014. 

In Bangla, tondra describes a state of existence where reality and dreams collide, a lucid in-between that quietly captivates the soul.

As the idea of Tondra began to take shape, it gently extended beyond a single story. It opened up space for many voices and many meanings. During DAS 2023, Tondra existed as an undercurrent across the exhibition. It revealed itself through moments of reflection, absence, and attention. As these moments accumulated, Tondra shifted beyond an individual experience, transforming into a discussion around a collective state of feeling.

Here are more reflections from our Art Mediators of what Tondra means to them:

“Tondra feels like a moment when the body is resting, but the mind moves on its own. Memories, dreams, worries — thoughts we usually don’t visit — surface gently. It’s comfort, and also a way of connecting with the deeper mind.”
— Arna

“Tondra is my soft escape — a small sanctuary, a borrowed happiness, a breath of mental peace. A place where my dreams finally sit beside me.”
— Nanziba

Tondra exists differently for each of us, yet is connected by a shared state, somewhere between reality and dream.
What is Tondra to you?

Our story of TONDRA emerged from a moment of heartbreak at DAS 2023. A young visitor began writing messages on the walls of our exhibition for a woman named Tondra—phrases like, “Everyone is here, but you are missing from my life.”

His words moved between graffiti and poetry. He described his Tondra as “a cloudy day,” weaving his deepest personal emotions with references to the stories and films of Humayun Ahmed, Zahir Raihan, and the songs of lyricist Ukil Munsi.

It was our Art Mediators who noticed and discovered this gesture, allowing it to grow into something shared rather than erased.

Here are two reflections from our Art Mediators of what Tondra means to them:

“To me, Tondra is like a river — quietly drifting, where movement disguises itself as stillness. A state where consciousness floats, aware yet unanchored, suspended between wakefulness and dream.”
— Dipika

“Tondra feels like a warm embrace from myself — a comforting hug that reconnects body and mind. A gentle escape from the noise of the world.”
— Oindrila

Tondra exists differently for each of us, yet is connected by a shared state, somewhere between reality and dream.
What is Tondra to you?

Congratulations to DAS collaborators Sabih Ahmed, and Nora Razian, who is also our Tondra guest curator—on curating the third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026, opening today.

We’re also thrilled to see artists from across DAS editions—Raqs Media Collective, Thảo Nguyên Phan, Karan Shrestha, and Sarker Protick are participating in this landmark biennale.

Warm congratulations to all the artists, curators, and the entire Diriyah Biennale team for bringing this ambitious edition to life. Wishing you a powerful opening and a resonant journey ahead.

Image 1: Installation view, works of Rashid Chowdhury (left) and Anwar Shemza from Rewind exhibition at DAS 2016. Photo credit: Jenni Carter

Image 2: Raqs Media Collective, Meanwhile Elsewhere, Public Art Project, DAS 2014, Courtesy of the artist. Photo credit: Shumon Ahmed

Image 3: Thảo Nguyên Phan, Tropical Siesta, 2017, Dhaka Art Summit 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo credit: Shadman Sakib

Image 4: Sarker Protick, Of River and Lost Lands, 2011-2023 (ongoing), DAS 2023, Courtesy of the artist. Photo Credit: Tuhin

Image 5: Karan Shrestha, In these folds, Commissioned by Samdani Art Foundation for DAS 2020. Courtesy of the artist. Photo credit: Noor Photoface.

Congratulations to our long-term DAS collaborator, Ashfika Rahman, on her solo exhibition Of Land, River, and Body (Mati, Nodi, Deho), now on view at the D53 Defence Colony gallery space by Vadehra Art Gallery.

The exhibition brings together works that Ashfika has developed and presented over time, including Behula These Days, a work first encountered by audiences at Dhaka Art Summit 2023 and later presented at the Future Generation Art Prize in Ukraine, before arriving in its current context. This trajectory reflects how Ashfika’s practice continues to evolve while remaining grounded in shared histories, local mythologies, and lived realities.

The exhibition will be on view until 24 January 2025.

Photograph 1–3: Installation views of Behula, These Days, from Of Land, River, and Body (Mati, Nodi, Deho)
Photograph 4–9: Installation views from Of Land, River, and Body (Mati, Nodi, Deho)

Installation view from our long-term DAS collaborator Ayesha Sultana’s solo exhibition, Fragility and Resilience, at the Jaipur Centre for Art, City Palace.

We are pleased to share that the artwork Nightfall from the Samdani Art Foundation Collection is also a part of this presentation.

Developed in collaboration with the Ishara Art Foundation and supported by Experimenter, the exhibition builds upon Sultana’s first comprehensive solo presentation in the Gulf at Ishara, Dubai (2024), and is thoughtfully reimagined for its new setting at the Jaipur Centre for Art.

The exhibition explores the delicate balance between vulnerability and strength, underscoring Sultana’s deep sensitivity to materials and her ongoing interest in how fragility and resilience coexist. Her wide-ranging practice is showcased through an array of works, including her first-ever hand-blown glass sculptures, oil paintings, watercolours on Japanese silk fabric, works on clay-coated paper, and photographic explorations.

Fragility and Resilience, which also marks the Jaipur Centre for Art’s first anniversary, will remain on view until 5 January 2026.

Congratulations to our Tondra and DAS 2018 artist Reetu Sattar on presenting a part of her exhibition Jot (Knot) at Serendipity Arts Festival 2025, as part of Bitter Soil by .

Every December, the Serendipity Arts Festival transforms Panjim, Goa, into one of the world’s largest and most inclusive celebrations of the arts. Spanning riverfronts, heritage buildings, and hidden corners of the city, the festival brings together craft, culinary arts, theatre, music, dance, visual arts, photography, performance, accessibility-focused initiatives, and dedicated programming for children.

Sattar is interested in the similarities, overlaps, and clashes of forms in theatre and performance art, as well as the relationship between the body and ego. Her practice dissects traditional theatrical tropes through conversations, spatial interventions, and sculptural elements.

Photographs :
1.All that could be held closely, Sharjah Art Biennial, 2025.
2. Shabnam, 2019-2023, commissioned by British Textile
3.Thousands that are walking never had names ( partly showing), Jan Van Eyck Academy, 2023
3. ⁠Last drop of the weavers’ bodies, commissioned by Sharjah Art Biennial, 2025

Congratulations to our long-term DAS collaborator, and a close friend of DAS and Bangladesh, Cosmin Costinaș, along with Inti Guerrero, on their appointment as Artistic Directors of the 9th Yokohama Triennale.

At DAS 2018 Cosmin Costinaș curated ‘A beast, a god, and a line’, which later travelled extensively, with presentations at Para Site, Hong Kong; YTS1, Yangon; MoMA Warsaw; Konsthall Trondheim; and MAIIAM, Chiang Mai.

Their proposal was selected in alignment with the Yokohama Museum of Art’s vision to “organise dialogue with many regions around the world in a sustainable way.” The 9th Yokohama Triennale will take place from 23 April to 12 September 2027, at the Yokohama Museum of Art and multiple venues across the city.

Photograph 1: A beast, a god, and a line, Dhaka Art Summit 2018, photographed by Pablo Bartholomew
Photograph 2: A beast, a god, and a line, Para/Site, Hong Kong
Photograph 3: A beast, a god, and a line, YTS1, Yangon












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Congratulations to our long-term DAS collaborator Britto Arts Trust on being part of 1+1: The Relational Years, the first major retrospective dedicated to Relational Aesthetics, scheduled at MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts, Rome.

We are also proud to share that our Artistic Director, Diana Campbell, has contributed as a writer to the exhibition catalogue, bringing in Bangladeshi and South Asian forms of relationality into the conversation.

Curated by Nicolas Bourriaud, with associate curator Eleonora Farina, the exhibition traces the evolution of one of the most influential artistic movements of the new millennium, thirty years after its emergence.

In the video gallery, Pakghor & Palan—a social kitchen and urban garden by the Bangladeshi collective Britto Arts Trust—is active weekly throughout the exhibition.

1+1: The Relational Years will be on view until 1 March 2026
MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts
Via Guido Reni, 4/a
00196 Rome, Italy

Photographs from Britto Arts Trust, Pakghor (The Social Kitchen).

Only 2 days left to apply!

Samdani Art Foundation invites young artists and graphic designers to submit logo proposals for TONDRA.

We are looking for a static logo (in both English and Bangla) along with a short animated GIF version of the logo. The animated version does not have to be final at the submission stage; a rough or simple animation is perfectly fine. The animated GIF will primarily be used for social media storytelling, while the static logo will be used across digital, print, and exhibition contexts.

The design should reflect the poetic, emotional, and dreamlike world of TONDRA—a liminal space where reality and imagination blur, where longing, nostalgia, transformation, and new futures coexist.

Click on the link below to apply!

https://www.samdani.com.bd/projects/open-call-for-logo-design--?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

DEADLINE: December 16, 2025

TONDRA - OPEN CALL FOR LOGO DESIGN

Samdani Art Foundation invites young artists and graphic designers to submit logo proposals for TONDRA.

We are looking for a static logo (in both English and Bangla) along with a short animation/GIF version of the logo. The moving version does not have to be final at the submission stage — a rough or simple animation is completely fine. The animation/GIF will primarily be used for social media storytelling, while the static logo will be used across digital, print, and exhibition contexts.

The design should reflect the poetic, emotional, and dream-like world of TONDRA—a liminal space where reality and imagination blur, where longing, nostalgia, transformation, and new futures coexist.

Click on the link below to apply!

https://www.samdani.com.bd/projects/open-call-for-logo-design--

DEADLINE

16 December, 2025

TONDRA - OPEN CALL FOR LOGO DESIGN

Samdani Art Foundation invites young artists and graphic designers to submit logo proposals for TONDRA.

We are looking for a static logo (in both English and Bangla) along with a short animation/GIF version of the logo. The moving version does not have to be final at the submission stage — a rough or simple animation is completely fine. The animation/GIF will primarily be used for social media storytelling, while the static logo will be used across digital, print, and exhibition contexts.

The design should reflect the poetic, emotional, and dream-like world of TONDRA—a liminal space where reality and imagination blur, where longing, nostalgia, transformation, and new futures coexist.

Click on the link below to apply!

https://www.samdani.com.bd/projects/open-call-for-logo-design--

DEADLINE

16 December, 2025