Photo Exhibition: A Different Bangladesh

28 photo students from Bangladesh and Nepal could this week show their pictures during the?Chobi Mela festival in Bangladesh after a seven day workshop supported by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. World renowned Norwegian photographer, Morten Krogvold, was once again responsible for the workshop, which has taken place since 2002.

?The Slum Trap?

Krogvold wanted to challenge his students to show a Bangladesh that was different from the traditional pictures the world so often is presented-?It is all too easy to get stuck in the ?Slum trap?. To bring your camera down to the slum is for me the easy way out ? you?ll get touching pictures without putting in any effort at all. I tried to challenge the students to think in new ways and focus on their Dhaka, says Krogvold. Easier said than done. Almost all of the participants were first year students and with minimal experience in photography. After the students returned from their first photo trip, Krogvold had jokingly proclaimed that he wanted to ?shoot them all in the backyard?. Still, student Anja Maharja merely has positive things to say about her mentor. -?I have learned a lot from Morten. He can be strict, but he pushed us to be better photographers, says Maharja, who is represented with two pictures in the exhibition.

Asia?s largest Photo Festival

After one week of intense photo lessons, combined with inspirational classes on art history, music and movies, the students could this week present their own exhibition:?Self-discovery?. Krogvold is impressed with the students work. -?The exhibition today is a more accurate portrait of Dhaka. It?s not just poverty and misery, but also growth, roller blades and development. This is a picture of this crazy town that I recognize, says Krogvold. The exhibition is a part of the Chobi Mela festivalen, which is said to be Asia?s largest photo festival, with exhibitions from 31 different countries. Krogvold is also represented in the festival with his exhibition?Encounters?. The student exhibition ?Self-discovery? will be upon for public from January 25th until 3rd of February at the Asiatic Gallery of Fine Arts in Dhaka.