The Dolphin Boat
Gidree Bawlee
The Dolphin Boats (2018 and 2019) made with ‘Golpata’ – mangrove palm, travelled around the Sundarbans, visiting villages and communities along its way to raise awareness about freshwater dolphin conservation in the Sundarbans. A team led by artist Kamruzzaman Shadhin collaborated with the Chowai’s (people who work with ‘Golpata’ – mangrove palm in the Sundarbans) to transform traditional Golpata boats into the shapes of Ganges River Dolphin and Irrawaddy Dolphin built respectively in 2018 and 2019. The boats acted as floating exhibition spaces as well as workshop spaces for conservationists, artists and puppeteers where they conducted various activities for local children.
The project was part of ‘Shushuk Mela’ which was organized by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Bangladesh in partnership with CNRS under a project initiated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Bangladesh Forest Department.
Gidree Bawlee (Santal, meaning ‘children’s babbling’) is a multidisciplinary platform which facilitates cultural and artistic exchange through organizing various creative programs by initiating collaborations between artists and the rural and indigenous communities in the village of Balia in Thakurgaon, Bangladesh. Through its social practice and community focused activities, the organization aims to make art that responds to the local history, culture and the environment.
This ground breaking unit is the brainchild of artistic producer Salma Jamal Moushum and multi-disciplinary artist Kamruzzaman Shadhin.
Mousham develops and directs projects at Gidree Bawlee. Her research interests revolve around the concepts of participatory art, art in public sphere, social practice and community art.
Kamruzzaman Shadhin is a visual artist born and based in Bangladesh working in the mediums of installation, video and performance art. His research mostly explores social, political and environmental issues and their overlapping relationships. His projects are often created through public participation and are exhibited in public spaces where the audiences are general public and surrounding communities. He is the founder of Gidree Bawlee. Shadhin is also a founder member of Chhobir Haat – an alternative open space for art and artists which has played an important role in the ongoing public art movement in Dhaka since 2005.
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