21-day long virtual exhibition on Rohingya arts and culture begins

A 21-day long vistual exhibition featuring Rohingya arts and culture began today.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Embassy of Bangladesh in the Netherlands organised the exhibition titled "Art | Life | Rohingya" where cultural objects and artworks representing key aspects of Rohingya memories, experiences, and aspirations will be displayed  till December 31 through the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre (RCMC), an IOM press release said today.

The exhibition is supported by the Netherlands Foreign Office and can be accessed at the following website https://artspaces.kunstmatrix.com/en/exhibitions/art%20life%20rogingya .

Visitors can click through a 3D virtual gallery, moving through different rooms to view collections such as Rohingya architecture, boat models, needlework, pottery, basketry, musical instruments and more, said the release.

The exhibition is part of an attempt to preserve Rohingya culture and ensure its continuity for Rohingya youth and children. The RCMC also aims to restore dignity and enhance the psychological well-being of the Rohingya population, the release read.

The cultural objects and artworks created and curated by refugee artisans of RCMC in Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps, capture Rohingya life in their homeland of Myanmar through artful scale models of their traditional houses, boats, furniture, household items, tools, etc.

Embroidery artworks such as "Henna Hands", "Self-Reflection'" and "My Home in Myanmar" reveal the inner worlds of the Rohingya women. "Wedding Tapestry" and needlework renditions of Rohingya proverbs visualise indigenous beliefs and practices.

"The RCMC offers a platform for the Rohingya people to share and build their stories with a global audience and to connect with the diaspora," said IOM Bangladesh Officer In Charge Fathima Nusrath Ghazzali

"We left everything except our memories. If we collect these things today, they won't disappear, and our younger generations will know about them," said Rohingya artisan Zaber.

 "Rohingya people are just not another million people. They treasure distinct culture and heritage as well. Their identity and dignity demand protection, by us, all," said Ambassador M Riaz Hamidullah of the Embassy of Bangladesh to the Netherlands.

Ambassador Anne Gerard van Leeuwen of the Embassy of the Netherlands to Bangladesh said, "By organising the exhibition, I hope that the plight of the Rohingya and the hospitality of Bangladesh will find recognition throughout the world".