The 11th Asian Art Biennale will begin on 15th January 2004 at the Osmani Memorial Hall. The function will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

Forty-five countries are participating in the Biennale, including Australia, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Nepal, South Africa, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, uzbekistan, united Arab Emirites and the host country Bangladesh.

Subir Chowdhury of the Shilpakala Academy that is organizing the function, says, "We began the biennales with Asian countries but since the last four occasions we have included Pacific regions , that is Australia and New Zealand, and African countries. Middle Eastern countries have been included in Asian countries. The Russian Federation too is participating as an Asian country. 66 countries that we had invited, 45

have so far agreed to participate in the programme."

Asked in what way this biennale will be different from those that have taken place before, " One can't really say that until all the entries come. So far, Japan, Iran and Vietnam have sent in their entries. The purpose of the biennale is to promote Asian and African countries which have been ignored so often as they belong to the under developed regions. I believe that if we have a combined platform, we can promote our art works in a more positive way."

Talking about whether the biennale tends to only increase the number of participants each time, or improve the standard and expand the variety of work, Subir Chowdury says that judges of each country decide on the work that is sent here but Shilpakala Academy lays stress on the fact that the promising work of the younger generation should come too.

Dwelling on the noted art works that will be on display, Subir

Chowdury says that Japan's work will be something different again. This will comprise of a robot and should be something new and of great interest for the younger generation.

Touching on the problems faced by the Shilpakala Academy in arranging the vast and varied art exhibition, we are told that there is not enough space and the new gallery at Shilpakala Academy is not enough: the art works will also be displayed at Osmani Memorial Hall and at the National Museum. More space is required to display the works properly and this is not forthcoming. The paintings and sculpture work will be crowded as before. The National Museum and Osmani Memorial Hall do not have adequate facilities that one expects from proper art galleries: all they can offer is space. We were told that the funds are not enough for a full-fledged international exhibition. The countries sending the exhibits have to bear the expense of transporting the art pieces and if artists wish to participate in the exhibition they will do so at their own cost. Shilpakala Academy will bear the local expenses but no more.

On the 16th and 17th January there will be an international seminar on "The Duality of Asian Art the ethnic and the global" which will discuss the prospects of Asian art straddling the ethnic as much as the contemporary global. Dr Kaiser Huq, Professor, English Department, Du, will present the keynote paper.