Enamul Hoque Multidisciplinary Artist /​ Creative Director

ABOUT

PORTRAIT OF BAUL
by Enamul Hoque

To bring the philosophy of Fakir Lalon Shah’s poetry to a new audience and dramatise the way Baul’s turn up in villages unannounced we created an installation at The Barbican - where 20m high 3x 21k video projections of the Baul’s singing 3 Lalon songs, were wirelessly triggered by people as they walked around other exhibitions.

Portrait of Baul project transformed the column in the foyer into a glowing pillars of light and sound, the Baul’s emerged from the concrete surface of the Barbican to sing Lalon songs, before dissolving once again into the architecture of The Barbican.

Visitors encountered Portrait of Baul project as they traversed The Barbican centre catching glimpses of their performances from walkways and stairs.

Background to PORTRAIT OF BAUL project:

For over ten years I’ve felt compelled to explore and record Lalon poetry, songs / Baul performances to make sure this tradition / philosophy of Fakir Lalon Shah does not fade away but remains accessible to enrich future generations.

Just three of these songs formed the basis of Portrait of Baul installation at The Barbican representing male / female & disabled Baul.

Fakir Lalon Shah, was a Bengali Baul saint, mystic, songwriter, social reformer and thinker.
(1772 – 17 October 1890 )

The Baul are a spiritual sect of travelling minstrels who wander through Bengal from village to village, performing songs in exchange for hospitality or a small rewards. Despite the transient nature of Baul performances, the extraordinary qualities of their music and Lalon's lyrics leave lasting memories with those who hear them – so much so that people of Bengali origins now living far away find them strongly evocative of ‘home’ where once they were inextricably part of the fabric of life.

The cultural scholar of Bangladesh, Dr. Anwarul Karim, asserts – in discussing the Baul tradition, that ‘Art is a part of life, and cannot be separated from it’.

This presentation took place in the Barbican. 2015.

Enamul Hoque - Artist / Creator
Matt Moate - Creative Director
Abbas Nokhasteh - Producer

Event Projection
Funded by Openvizor

MADEIT CREDITS

  • BarbicanClient
studiopro:Enamul was verified as a studiopro on 5th October 2022 Project featured: on 6th December 2017

Portrait of Baul - Enamul Hoque

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