Month: May 2011

— A Social Practice Art Project (2011)

These photographs document a collaborative social practice art project held in May 2011 between Artist Abu Naser robii and Finnish artist JP Kaljonen. The project took place along the VIP Road in Patenga, Chittagong, where several tragic road accidents had claimed seven lives.

Through this initiative, we engaged with residents in conversations and shared memories about these incidents. We collected the names of the victims, printed them on reflective paper, and used them as visual road markers to remind pedestrians and drivers of the need for safety. We also distributed sticker versions for small vehicles and attached them to schoolchildren’s bags, turning memory into a living act of awareness.

Our goal was to raise consciousness among the local community about responsible road use and to reduce the frequency of fatal accidents through collective participation and remembrance.

The images here show moments from the preparation of a billboard installation, created through the community’s re-enactment of one of the tragic accidents they had witnessed. Residents participated spontaneously and wholeheartedly in the process.

This project was part of “Art Can Change Life” — the 3rd International Workshop organized under the banner of Porapara Space for Artists, with artistic direction and curatorial responsibility by artist Abu Naser Robii.