President M Abdul Hamid on Saturday lauded the contribution of artists and cultural activists to all achievements of the nation as he inaugurated the month-long Asian art exhibition at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) here.
“The art-culture too has a huge contribution to our nation building . . . The cultural activists always play a brave role during the crisis period or any crucial moment of the nation,” he said while opening the “18th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2018,” the largest fine arts festival in Asia, at the National Art Gallery of BSA.
Referring to thousand years’ cultural heritages, the President said the cultural activists have been playing a very significant role in all democratic movements and their role since the country’s Language Movement and Liberation War is praiseworthy.
He stressed the need for practicing different cultural activities to stir up the spirit of discipline, nationalism, patriotism and flourish communal harmony among the adolescent and youths of a nation.
“Fine arts have a huge contribution to develop friendship and ties . . . It can help a country and a nation to mount its pride and dignity in the world map,” President Hamid observed.
Thanking the organizers for arranging this international event, he hoped that the exhibition would enrich the culture, fine arts, history and tradition of this country and this region as well.
Abdul Hamid said, “We should bear in mind that the aestheticism and appeal of the arts are unlimited and everlasting. Each artwork manifests individual’s thoughts and ideas alongside the national culture and norms.
“So, the aircrafts and artistic thought are personal but the extent of these creative activities is universal,” the President added.
Terming the 18th art exhibition a strong and effective platform of exchanging opinions and experiences among the artists both at home and abroad, he said it would add a new height of aestheticism of fine arts and inspire the artists and visitors to do something new in the days to come.
“This exhibition will help introduce the Bangladeshi artworks and uphold the cultural heritages in the world,” the President hoped.
Cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor, exhibition observer Professor Emirates Tetsuya Noda, jury board president artist Shahabuddin Ahmed and BSA director general (DG) Liaquat Ali Lucky, among others, were present in the function.
Later, the President visited the art gallery, where both two and three-dimensional 483 artworks, including painting, print, photography, sculpture, installation, performance art and new media art, by 465 artists from 68 countries are being exhibited.
The Cultural Affairs Ministry and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy have jointly organized the exhibition and it will continue till the end of the month, said the organizers.
The participating countries include: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines, the United States of America (USA), Mongolia, Peru, Stein, Italy, Ireland, Egypt, Kenya, Turkey, Ukraine, Iran, Moscow and Germany.
The exhibition will remain open for all from 11am to 8pm every day. Apart from the exhibition, two seminars and cultural functions will be held on September 2 and 3.
Secretaries concerned to the Bangabhaban accompanied the President.
