A cultural centre honouring progressive Bengali values and the legacy of a family home
“Uttarsury” means successor. This is a project about my family — a very personal and special collaborative initiative. Uttarsury is now a cultural centre in memory of my grandparents, the Late Noorjehan Murshid (politician and social activist) and Late Khan Sarwar Murshid (Professor of English Literature, Dhaka University). The institution works to remember and archive the ideals of the Bangladeshi liberation war on which the country was supposed to stand. Through interviews, photographic archives and documentation, it brings together the progressive thoughts of the youth of the 1950s and ’60s who demanded a country built on values of togetherness and secularism. In 2022, an old residential house in Dhanmondi was transformed into this cultural centre — a knowledge hub for the young generation to develop a full consciousness of where they come from.
Process
My role in this collaboration was Resident Artist and co-curator. I created two mixed media installations for the exhibition — one in memory of my grandparents, and one in memory of my cousin Shabab Murshid, who passed away at the age of fifteen and with whom I spent most of my childhood in this house. I was responsible for recreating my grandparents’ rooms with their original furniture and art. I also curated several events, bringing children to adorn the walls with their art, and artists junior and senior who came together to create graffiti and stories on the walls of the premises.
The story does not end here. In 2023, when the house was torn down, our original crew got together again to bring artists to perform in the ruins of the building. The result was a small collection of haunting documentary photographs by Imtiaz Alam Beg. This page pays homage to a year-long project that brought together so many sentiments of the young and old, and presented a beautifully orchestrated story for all generations to participate in and carry forward.
All photographs by Imtiaz Alam Beg, except boxes 3, 4, 5, 6 by Farhan Sajjad.
The House
“765” — Mixed media wall installation at 765 Satmasjid Road
This old residential house was built by the renowned architect Mazharul Islam. It was a place where cultural activists, artists and politicians once gathered to discuss matters of national discourse — a home of enlightened thinking. The home my mother grew up in became a house I frequented and my cousins grew up in. Many stories of love and loss happened within its walls.
This historical site was scheduled to be torn down in 2023. In lieu of this, my mother and her firm Brotee — in collaboration with photographer Imtiaz Alam Beg, artist and curator Mustafa Zaman, and myself — hosted and curated a year-long programme and exhibition celebrating my grandparents’ legacy and all those who brought forth Bengali progressive values for a new Bangladesh, and made them accessible to the youth of today.
The Installations
“ুলটা পা” — A Memorial
For all my cousins in heaven and earth, who played here.
Performances
I organised the farewell event, bringing in young musicians and fire artists to thank and bid farewell to our long-standing home.
The Closing, 2023
Behind the Scenes
Singing childhood favourites with family during the Uttarsury process.
