Episode 8 – Dhaka


Episode 8 – Dhaka © Illustration: © Šejma Fere Episode 8 – Dhaka Illustration: © Šejma Fere
A podcast by BLKBX

Featuring:
Shadwaan Chowdhury
Sounak Das
Muttaki Mahmud
Nazifa Raidah
 
 

Technology – The New Normal for Dhaka’s Artists

Episode 8 of the Timezones podcast series, co-initiated and co-produced by Norient and the Goethe-Institut. This episode isproduced by the Bangladeshi artist duo BLKBX and delves into Dhaka’s arts scenes. It features the city’s transformation towards digitization and the ramifications for artists living and working in the metropole.

Dhaka serves as the container of 20 million souls – surviving day to day, yet never failing to smile. It’s probably the world’s least known capital, yet it is a melting pot of joy and fear bundled with hope. There’s a lot happening in Dhaka and the sonic arts do not find themselves isolated from these changes. The city’s transformation towards digitization is not necessarily due to a propagandistic portrayal but to the sheer necessity of survival.

Amidst the chaos of navigating everyday challenges for everyday people, the digital world serves as a new form of escape. However, for artists, this dependence can be an impediment – and the creative juices get thrown around in a blender that combines media, art, and technology.

In this episode, Dhaka’s artists speak about their personal motivations and processes in the pursuit of art, knowing the challenges ahead. They shed light on how the pandemic has shaped, or perhaps reshaped, the thought process of making art and how technology can be deemed the new normal for them.

With a growing underground scene for electronic artists, the city is on the verge of its next domino effect that will create a musical revolution, much like its predecessor rock music – one that was by its people and for its people. The artists zoom out from their comfort zone to explore new dimensions fuelled by creativity and discuss how this will change how we perceive and make art.
 

Credits


Credits:

Artistic Editor: Suvani Suri
Project Management: Hannes Liechti
Video Trailer: Emma Nzioka
Jingle Voiceover: Nana Akosua Hanson
Jingle Mix: Daniel Jakob
Mastering: Adi Flück, Centraldubs
Artwork: Šejma Fere

Top