Munem Wasif

Biography

In his photography and videos, Munem Wasif investigates conceptions of ‘documents’ and ‘archives’ and their corresponding influence on politically and geographically complex issues. Expressionistic in style and long term in method, Wasif often experiments beyond tradition, testing the possibilities of fiction through a familiar documentary language.

Wasif’s work has been featured in numerous solo exhibitions, including Salt Water Tears, Centre Camille-Claudel, Clermont-Ferrand, France (2018); Jomin o Jaban – a tale of the land, Project 88, Mumbai (2017); Land of Undefined Territory, Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka Art Summit (2016); In God We Trust, Le 247, Paris (2015) and Salt Water Tears, Espace Cosmopolis, Nantes, France (2015). Among his recent group exhibitions are the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, QAGOMA, Brisbane (2018); Prix Pictet: Space, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2018); 12th Gwangju Biennale (2018); Artists' Film International, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London (2018); An Atlas of Mirrors, Singapore Biennale (2016) and You Cannot Cross the Sea Merely by Staring at the Waves, Krinzinger Projekte, Vienna (2016).

His publications include Belonging (Clémentine de la Feronnière Editions, 2013), Salty Tears (Images Plurielles, 2011) and Standing on the edge (e-center, 2008). With Tanzim Wahab, he has co-edited two editions of Kamra, a comprehensive bangla book of photography that sets ideas and debates in photographic history and theories.

Wasif currently teaches at the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute in Dhaka, and he is co-curator of the Chobi Mela International Festival of Photography. He was born in 1983 in Dhaka, where he continues to live and work.

SAF participation:
Sharjah Biennial 14