Exhibition »36 JULY« by Sadya Mizan

A 36-day long students protest during July-August with rightful demands, known as the »July revolution« in Bangladesh has recently made history. Sheikh Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh as Prime Minister for 15 years, resigned and fled the country on 5^th August 2024 as student and civilian protesters took over her official residence in the capital Dhaka.

The exhibition 36 JULY curated by Sadya Mizan (currently fellow of the Akademie Schloss Solitude), together with Ruxmini Reckvana Q Choudhury, focuses on these 2024 student protests in Bangladesh. Originally directed against an unjust quota system, these protests evolved into a large-scale political revolution.

This exhibition aims to serve as a platform for recognizing the contributions of artist activists in the protest and to archive the historical discourse of the 36 days of revolution for future generations. It is a cartographic reflection of the events, featuring multidisciplinary works including illustrations, paintings, photographs, cartoons, graffiti, as well as audio and text works by various artists from Bangladesh. Visitors are invited to explore, reflect, read, and take a moment to contemplate. The exhibition seeks to contribute to global awareness, foster shared dialogue, and promote solidarity.

With research support from Fouzia Mahin Choudhury, Swilin Haque, Foysal Mahamood, Tanvir Mahmud Abir, Ruhina Ferdous and Ahmed Rasel. Cartoon resource collaborator for the exhibition are the earki and the Bangladesh Cartoonist Association.

The exhibition is presented in cooperation with the Akademie Schloss Solitude.