Page 39 - ICE Today May - June 2020

Art Exhibition
The Gallery View

Iftekhar A. Khan,
Founder & Trustee,
Edge, shares his insight
into the current state of
the art gallery scene of
Dhaka amid the spread
of COVID-19.

Drawing from your
extensive experience in the
art industry, what are the
economic and cultural
ramifications that you can
envision for the art world
due to the COVID-19
pandemic?
Most people tend to spend
discretionary income on art,
which means galleries, dealers
and ultimately artists will be
hit hard. The local galleries are
not profitable, to begin with,
so, realistically speaking, we a must in the fight against from private events, such as times; we have placed
will see several closes down, COVID-19. We felt it was our exhibitions utilizing the additional measures to ensure
unless gallery owners and duty to contribute to the Gallery space and Lakeside an environment where visitors
artists get even more creative larger community by Plaza setting. With social feel safe & secure.
or supplement their income highlighting our gifted distancing in place, this The Edge Gallery is a retreat,
through other means. engineers and scientists who activity will most likely not a place to contemplate and
can really make a difference. return anytime soon. As for enjoy art in an enabling
What are the strategies the silver lining, or more like a environment. So, once society
that galleries are adapting As many galleries and wakeup call to all, is the picks up the pieces, we will
to stay afloat and is museums begin to shift greater issue of social encourage visitors to make
government assistance their physical presence disparity and the pursuit of appointments so that we can
expected? Due to Edge towards an online equity. offer them safe distancing and
being a non-profit experience via e-viewing staggered timing.
organization that funds the platforms, are physical How will the foundation
foundations’ educational spaces likely to cease to continue its programs at Who is an artist that has
program, are gallery sales exist as paying the rent the end of this phase influenced you greatly and
or the educational program becomes less affordable? taking social distancing why?
itself likely to be affected? Most people look at galleries into consideration? Are Our childhood experiences
Since art is considered a as a space for solace, other galleries considering and education shape our social
luxury, we don’t expect to see reflection & relaxation. In my taking any measures which leanings; this is a truism in art
any government assistance. view, to truly appreciate art, may make people more too. Having been brought up
Galleries will have to be savvy one much experience it comfortable? in the west and studied
when it comes to cost-cutting physically so there will always We have postponed architecture, the masters of
and diversify and add other be a demand for physical exhibitions and will review the the modern and liberal
revenue streams. spaces. Foundations can matter in August, and movement, in both art and
The Edge Education program definitely help raise funds and continue to comply with architecture, have been a great
is very much dependent on use their network to raise socially responsible practices. influence on me - from the
donations, which of course, in awareness. We also plan on hosting great masters of cubism to the
the current climate will online auctions & fundraisers abstract expressionism of
decline. What do you see as being in addition to one-on-one Miro, Mondrian, Pollock and
Amidst this outbreak, we were the some of the biggest visits or private tours. Our Kandinsky. As for sculpture, I
able to promptly host a design hurdles in this current building, Bay’s Edgewater find the semi-abstract works
competition for emergency climate and can we expect houses a number of embassies of Henri Moore the most
ventilators with the objective any silver linings at the end and MNCs which require the evocative and timeless.
of increasing the healthcare of it? highest standards of hygiene
capacity for the people. This is Most of our funding comes and sanitation in normal
ICE TODAY MAY-JUNE 2020 33