March 2018: Histories and Theories

The session in March 2018 on "Histories and Theories." was a two-weeks long academic session set to shed light on the History and Cultural background on the art and architecture of the subcontinent.

History, theory, criticism and design are interconnected streams in the production of art, architecture and other creative works. Practices in histories and theories help us understand the material, spatial and intellectual dynamics in the arrangement of the physical world. In times of fluctuations and changes as ours, this reflective practice becomes more critical in order to reorient, strategize and be inventive in the production of works. The purpose of the session was to use perspectives from both architectural and broader history to expand the scope of understanding of our environment. Through thought-provoking discourse, the session focused on why histories and theories are necessary for developing world-views and standpoints, and forming the basis for creative acts. Conducted through lectures and public talks by well-known historians, the session tried to form bridges among various disciplines engaged in the practices of history and historiography.

March Session on “Histories and Theories” will be unique!

The two weeks long March Session on “Histories and Theories” was a remarkable seminar on the history of architecture, art and culture. A strong lineup of historians, theorists and professors in the history of art, culture and architecture offered a unique opportunity for students and young teachers in cultural and architectural history.

Faculty includes:

A prominent architect and academic stalwart, Prof SHAMSUL WARES is an authority on modern architectural history of Bangladesh.

Prof DAVID LEATHERBARROW, teaching at the University of Pennsylvania and directing its PhD program, is a renowned architectural historian and author of many influential books, including “On Weathering: The Life of Buildings in Time,” written with Mohsen Mostafavi, and “The Roots of Architectural Invention: Site, Enclosure, Materials.”

A specialist on the art and cultural history of modern and contemporary India, Prof TAPATI GUHA-THAKURTA is professor in history at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, and the author of the much acclaimed “The Making of a New ‘Indian’ Art: Artists, Aesthetics, and Nationalism in Bengal.”

Prof SONIA AMIN has taught history at the University of Dhaka and specializes in cultural and gender history of Bengal in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Prof ADNAN MORSHED, currently heading the school of architecture at BRAC University, is an important architectural historian and author of numerous publications including the very original “Impossible Heights: Skyscrapers, Flight, and the Master Builder.”

From the “The Hermit’s Hut: Architecture and Asceticism in India” to “Locations: Anthology of Architecture and Urbanism”, and other publications on ancient and contemporary India, and modern architecture in Bangladesh, the work of Prof KAZI KHALEED ASHRAF remains prolific and diverse.