ULAB Explores Surveillance Through Art and Dialogue

Taiara Farhana Tareque and Afraim Dewan 


University of Liberal Arts explores the topic 'Panopticon and Reverse Panopticon' via the medium of art and dialogue during their curriculum integration program which took place on the 18th Decmeber, 2016.

Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon, a prison where inmates could secretly be watched by wardens, had made way for modern day surveillance system to take hints from architecture and psychology.  In today's modern day world where mass surveillance has become the norm. Every semester 16 courses come together to do projects based one single topic, this semesters topic was " Panopticon and Reverse Panopticon". 

Teachers and students of ULAB watching video art exhibited in Gallery Twenty One.
Photograph: Akib Hossain 

The program started from 12 noon and went on till 6 pm. There was the visual art exhibition, public dialogue, film screening and lastly the award giving ceremony.  The students of showcased their wall art, performances, installations and video art in Gallery Twenty One and ULAB Campus B. While the Gallery was a little crowded due to so many projects going on at the same time, the audience seemed to enjoy the performances and video art the most.  

There were art works and comic strips on two walls, which were also based on surveillance. AFM Moniruzzaman, course instructor of '3D Animation: Drawing for Animation' told us “I feel students were able to justify the subject. But this time we were very skeptic about doing it in a small space as there are lots of projects by students from all the courses. "

AFM Moniruzzaman watching an installation art by Priyanka Chowdhury
Photograph: Akib Hossain

In conversation with Robiul Islam, a student and performer in the exhibit, this is what he had to say when asked about his performance and experience “My team’s performance was based on the surveillance process of bio metric sim registration and how it the government is handling all our information. I also had a great time doing performance art form the first time.”

The works were exhibited in the galleries through out the day as the public dialogue and film screening continued in Chayanaut. The panelists of the dialogue were Shahab Enam Khan, Associate Professor, Department of International Relations and Swahdin Sen, Associate Professor, Department of Archaeology of Jahangirnagar University, and Sumon Rahman, Associate Professor of ULAB was the moderator of the dialogue. After the dialogue, there was a question answer session where students were more than eager to participate. 

After the panel discussion, a film screening was held. It showcased short films and documentaries on various topics but the focus was mainly on the topic of surveillance. With a very homely feel and good sound quality everyone enjoyed the screenings very much. 

In the end the chief guest Mr. Jahangir, Chief Executive of Bangladesh Cinema and Television said " We should work together with the FDC. If we work together then the scenario will change some day."  

The program ended with the award giving ceremony where students from apprenticeships programs of ULAB were given awards for excellent performance. We had the chance to talk to Sanjida Liaquat, she was given an award for the Best Program Producer “I am currently in ULAB Radio Campbuzz and I am glad I got this award. Working in the Radio has taught me many valuable things. I feel that my hard work has paid off and everyone appreciated me and that’s why I am here today. And as far as today's program goes, I feel these programs are very much needed as I myself learned so much through the film screenings. I knew about the topic before but know I see it everywhere and today’s dialogues has made me realized how everything is connected.”

As Sanjida said that these dialogues and conversation are important, for a university such as ULAB, Concentrating on broader topics such as these are a good indication. Our educational systems needs to reform and make space for everyone's point of view and programs like these increase conversation between the younger generation.