An evening of muted French colours

The video showed the visiting artists Jean Dometti and Jean Pierre Tingaud, as they casually talked in the guest house, sitting on rickshaws on the way to the Fine Arts Department, DU and talking and discussing with teachers and students of Fine Arts. They appeared happy and contented with their surroundings and appeared to enjoy their repartee with the students. Although many members of the audience of the exhibitions were not brought in the video, the manner in which the prints were presented was clear and effective.

Jean Dometti, who displayed his art at the Bengal Gallery, had his work in caskets and helmets of ochre, brown gray and contained images that were common to most viewers. There were plateaus, caves, niches and hillocks, wrapped in flamboyant, golden and silver colours. The images opened to many interpretations. Jean-Pierre Tingaud's black and white prints, keeping the image of Christ's crucifixion in view, were also profoundly moving. The music that Fahmida had employed for the background was moving indeed. She let the lens linger long over many of the art pieces so that the video presentation was an education in itself. The third exhibition at Alliance Francasie, showed the works of masters like Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, Miro and Dali. Also included is a representation of the on-going exhibition of 19 Bangladeshi printmakers in Paris from June to July 2004.