Dhaka: A new public art initiative, Tatvamasi, aims to connect art, climate justice, and disability inclusion by engaging diverse communities in co-creating a large-scale public installation that amplifies the voices of climate-vulnerable and marginalized people. Tatvamasi Circle, a Green Drink gathering hosted by Masud Jamil Khan, Honorary Consul of Ireland in Bangladesh, and curated by GenLab at the Honorary Consulate of Ireland in Dhaka, brought together representatives from the diplomatic community, development organizations, civil society, academia, culture, conservation, media, and the private sector.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the event was attended by Spanish Ambassador to Bangladesh Gabriel Sistiaga Ochoa de Chinchetru. Green Drink is GenLab’s signature dialogue platform designed to foster discussions on climate, environment, and nature through ideas, creativity, and storytelling, stated a press release. Masud Jamil Khan opened the event by emphasizing Tatvamasi’s reflection of shared responsibility in shaping a sustainable future through art and dialogue.
Ratul Dev, Executive Director of GenLab, presented the vision behind Tatvamasi, describing it as a multidisciplinary initiative grounded in the philosophy that “what happens to one of us happens to all of us.” The project will culminate in a 100-foot-long and seven-foot-high terracotta and ceramic public artwork, designed as a tactile and accessible installation incorporating contributions from various stakeholders including artists, persons with disabilities, and climate-vulnerable communities from Bangladesh and abroad.
The organisers highlighted that the initiative seeks to showcase how climate change disproportionately affects climate-vulnerable communities, persons with disabilities, and socially marginalized groups while promoting inclusion and collective responsibility. Participants engaged in a collaborative clay-making session using locally sourced clay, expressing their reflections on relationships with nature and society through clay forms, symbols, and textures.
Mohammed Zahidur Rahman, Country Director of CBM Bangladesh, emphasized the importance of participation in disability inclusion, stating that co-creation is the soul of Tatvamasi. Water and climate expert Dr. Ainun Nishat expressed hopes that the initiative would inspire greater awareness about protecting marine ecosystems. Meher Nigar Bhuiyan from the European Union delegation to Bangladesh remarked on the initiative’s potential to amplify the voices and experiences of climate-vulnerable communities.
Tatvamasi is being developed under the Funding Fairer Futures initiative with financial support from the European Union, co-funding from Irish Aid, and in partnership with CBM Ireland. GenLab, a youth-led think-and-do tank, works on climate action, sustainability, inclusion, innovation, and community engagement through partnerships, public programs, and creative initiatives.