Britto Arts Trust, পাকঘর PAKGHOR - The Social Kitchen & পালান PALAN – Organic Kitchen Garden, 2021-2022. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
Projects
প্রান্তিকের প্রাকৃতজন Prantiker Prakritajon
2010-2021
Britto Arts Trust, প্রান্তিকের প্রাকৃতজন- Prantiker Prakritajon, 2010 - 2021. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
Britto Arts Trust, প্রান্তিকের প্রাকৃতজন- Prantiker Prakritajon, 2010 - 2021. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
Britto Arts Trust, প্রান্তিকের প্রাকৃতজন- Prantiker Prakritajon, 2010 - 2021. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
A series of projects titled Prantiker Prakritajon (people living in the margins) with communities living mostly in the border area between Bangladesh and India as well as in coastal areas has been organized over the last twelve years, a task that has been very challenging and risky in terms of its implementation.
Most of the communities did not have electricity, running water, or toilet facilities when we visited years ago. But there were various resources including minerals, limestone, and the finest ceramic clay. As a result, the native inhabitants have been victimized and exploited by mainstream traders for years. They have been unable to protect their landscapes, properties, and homes. Nothing could stop those traders, and eventually the people’s nature, environment, and lifestyle were threatened.
Between 2010 and 2021 we followed a route to revisit seven overlooked ethnic communities across the country.
Text provided by Britto Arts Trust.
পালান PALAN
2021-2022
Britto Arts Trust, পালান PALAN – Organic Kitchen Garden, 2021-2022. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
Britto Arts Trust, পালান PALAN – Organic Kitchen Garden, 2021-2022. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
Britto Arts Trust, পালান PALAN – Organic Kitchen Garden, 2021-2022. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
PALAN is Known as a very local Bengali Kitchen Garden that usually grown by the women and children of the house. The seeds are organically collected from the vegetables they use for cooking. Usually, a PALAN appears next to the PAKGHOR using dry branches, bamboo sticks, jute sticks or any other available found materials to organically make structures for the plants. PALAN fulfils the sudden needs of cooking or sometimes can grow as the major part of family food.
We welcome the participants of PAKGHOR to collect the herbs, mints and vegetables from our very own PALAN on their own terms.
Text provided by Britto Arts Trust.
পাকঘর PAKGHOR
2021-2022
Britto Arts Trust, পাকঘর PAKGHOR - The Social Kitchen, 2021-2022. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
Britto Arts Trust, পাকঘর PAKGHOR - The Social Kitchen, 2021-2022. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
Britto Arts Trust, পাকঘর PAKGHOR - The Social Kitchen, 2021-2022. Image credits Britto Archive. Courtesy of artist.
In Bangla traditional kitchen stands for the word PAKGHOR in the countryside of Bangladesh, we did not have a concept of living room or dining room in past. PAKGHOR. was the place that usually covers both the needs of a family. It is indeed a meeting place for the family members at where they share, discuss, chat, plan and so on as part of a family life. From serious discussion to fun to emotion to anger or from plan to process to result related to one’s life eventually become part of a PAKGHOR. While the women of the family cook food, other members of the family provide the company in many ways. Although there is no sofa or dining table arrangement, PAKGHOR typically is predetermined to be a cooking as well as sitting and eating space.
The effect of Food Politics as a global language that somewhat respond to the the wars, politics, displacement, migration, commercially grown food, food control, colonialisation, famine, hybrid culture and inorganic lifestyle we live in. Despite all negative effects on our society, environment and culture, we are trying to look back in to our ethnicity, own roots and culture that our own ancestors lived in. Recalling the simple and natural lifestyle and culture we are stepping ahead to share this with a wider global audience. The history shows us repeatedly that behind all the wars or political crises food played a vital role to control the global economics.
The displacement, migration and force migration are historically have become part of our lives, which is sMll going on. From village to town to city to the capital to another country- a never ending process due to the centralization of every possible opportunity to live with. We speak about decentralization, decolonization often without searching out the hidden issues of world politics of dominance. The overpowering socio- political structure do not allow majority to move forward from their own locatoons. Apart from many other values we carry out the stories of our families, the taste of food, memories, emoMons and so on. Looking at oneself, food is typically considered as a vital part of life. The recipes that are followed by our ancestors are not recorded. We usually try to carry the taste and memory along with us, as well as the stories of the food we love to experience once again despite the unavailability of the ingredients. We try our best to find the proper ingredients or supplementary articles to cook the same food using our remembrance and previous taste that we obtained from our very own PAKGHOR.
Text provided by Britto Arts Trust.
Biography
Britto Arts Trust is based in Dhaka, but works extensively in different locations across the country. Britto attempts to understand Bangladesh’s socio-political upheaval by exploring missing histories, cultures, and communities and collaborating with various partners.
Britto seeds and promotes multiple interdisciplinary practitioners, groups, and networks. It provides an international and local forum for the development of professional art practitioners, a place where they can meet, discuss, experiment, and upgrade their abilities on their own terms. In response to the lack of suitable educational institutions in Bangladesh, Britto functions as an alternative learning platform for many artists who have gone on to produce highly experimental work [1].
[1] https://documenta-fifteen.de/en/lumbung-members-artists/britto-arts-trust/
Britto Arts Trust (Overlapping). Image credits Britto Archive.
