Dhaka Lab
Jute

Bettina Korintenberg is curator, research and lecturer working at the intersection of art, ecology and technology. She holds a Ph.D. in cultural studies and is head of the ifa Galleries. Her curatorial practice focuses on interrogating digital and global media ecology and revising the history of ideas of Western-influenced modernity against the backdrop of current social and ecological transformations. She is especially interested in alternative space-time configurations and forms of social collectivity through collaborative and transdisciplinary processes as modes of knowledge creation and platforms of mutual learning. From 2016 to 2020, she was curator at the ZKM | Karlsruhe, co-curating “Critical Zones. Observatories for Earthly Politics” (2020) and “Digital Imaginaries. Africas in Production” (2019), among others. Recent projects are “Resonaciones” (2023/24), “Camila Sposati. Breath Pieces” (2023/24) and the one-year collaborative research and exhibition project “Agua Quemada / Burnt Water” (2024/25). In addition to her curatorial work she gives lectures and workshops, and is a member of several juries and the author of numerous contributions to catalogues and academic publications.

Marina Tabassum is a Bangladeshi architect and educator, and founder of Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), established in Dhaka in 2005. Her practice is rooted in what she calls an "Architecture of Relevance" — contemporary design deeply grounded in ecological, cultural, historical, and climatic context. Her Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka was recognised by The New York Times as one of the 25 most significant works of postwar architecture worldwide, and won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016. She won the award a second time in 2025 for her Khudi Bari project. She is the Academic Director of the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements, and has taught at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, TU Delft, the University of Texas at Arlington, and BRAC University. She currently holds a professorship in Architectural Design for Climate Adaptation at TU Delft. Among her honours are the Soane Medal, the Arnold Brunner Memorial Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Gold Medal of the French Academy of Architecture, the Jameel Prize from the Victoria and Albert Museum, and inclusion in TIME's 2024 list of the 100 Most Influential People. She also chairs Prokritee, a fair-trade organisation supporting more than 5,000 women artisans across Bangladesh.

Mubarak Ahmad Khan is a Bangladeshi scientist regarded, per Scopus data, as the world's leading researcher on jute's commercial and industrial applications. A former Chief Scientific Officer and Director General of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, he now serves as Scientific Advisor to the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation. He is best known for inventing the Sonali Bag, a biodegradable bioplastic made from jute cellulose, developed as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic and brought into commercial production in 2018. His other inventions include Jutin, a jute-reinforced polymer composite used in housing materials. He has authored or co-authored over 600 publications, including 21 book chapters and three patents, and has supervised more than 300 Master's and PhD students. In 2024, he was conferred Bangladesh's highest civilian honour, the Independence Award, by the Government of Bangladesh.

Aroni Roy (b. 1991) works within a multidisciplinary practice where art, architecture, and technology converge to create holistic and mutually inclusive designs. Through her process, she seeks to contribute to regenerative and innovative systems that enable all living beings to thrive alongside one another.

Fariha Khondoker is a recent architecture graduate from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). As she begins her professional journey, she is increasingly drawn to vernacular practices rooted in diverse local contexts. She aspires to contribute meaningfully to contemporary architectural discourse by building on the knowledge, insights, and experiences she continues to gain through her practice and research.

Husna Zahan Tonny is an architect and researcher with a strong interest in socio-spatial studies, material exploration, and sustainable design. Her work focuses on developing research-driven and context-responsive architectural approaches that connect people, place, and culture.

Kazi Sydul Karim (Tuso) is a designer and installation artist from Dhaka, Bangladesh. His practice, shaped through Britto Arts Trust, explores the relationship between vernacular knowledge, material culture, and contemporary spatial practices. Working closely with artisans, he transforms traditional techniques and everyday handcrafted objects into large-scale installations that reinterpret historical craftsmanship through new scales and functions.

He has participated in major exhibitions, biennales, and residency programmes, including documenta fifteen (2022), the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale (2023), Asia NOW Paris (2023), Gangaburi: River Heritage – Buriganga (2023), the Connecting Ecosystems post-documenta residency exchange programme (2023), ShohorNama II: NEER (2024), 1+1: The Relational Years at MAXXI Museum (2025), and The Zurich Archipelago (2026).

Labib Hasan is a final-year architecture student at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). His interests lie in sustainable design, local materials, and the relationship between culture, landscape, and contemporary architecture. Through both digital tools and hands-on experimentation, he explores materials and design techniques while seeking new approaches to collaborative and context-sensitive design.

Madhuri Deby Rupa is a Bangladeshi doctoral researcher at IIT Roorkee (India) under the supervision of Prof. Smriti Saraswat. As an architect and researcher, she represents SANCHAY Lab, where craft-based innovation is used to explore jute, bamboo, and other bio-derived materials. Her work integrates traditional knowledge with sustainable design approaches.

Md Mahfuz Alam Rudro is an architecture student, designer, and maker whose work explores the intersection of space, technology, and creativity. His interests range from architectural design and urban thinking to digital fabrication and bio-design. Driven by curiosity and a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, he seeks to transform ideas into meaningful experiences and tangible outcomes.

Papia Sarwar is an artist and architect whose practice is informed by soil, memory, and inherited knowledge. Working with natural pigments and locally available materials such as mud, bamboo, straw, jute, and reclaimed fragments, she creates artworks and spaces rooted in cultural memory, ecological care, and spirituality. Her work explores continuity, connection, and devotion through acts of making.

Rafia Mahjabeen is a textile artist and designer whose work explores the relationship between people, nature, and memory through weaving, natural dyeing, and mixed-media practices. Using sustainable materials and traditional textile techniques, she creates works that investigate the communicative potential of textiles while reflecting on environmental consciousness, materiality, and identity.

Rituparna Saha is a textile artist and designer exploring memory, nature, and emotional healing through sustainable textile practices. Using natural dyes, hand stitching, weaving, and reclaimed materials, she creates tactile narratives that reflect slowness, material consciousness, and the quiet dialogue between tradition, ecology, and contemporary expression.

Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores how materials, stories, and communities shape lived experiences. His practice spans illustration, installation, and participatory workshop-based projects, investigating cultural memory, ecology, and spatial narratives. He is currently developing an approach he describes as “Layered Experience Design.”

BUET – Department of Architecture: A leading architecture school in Bangladesh with a strong foundation in design, research, sustainability, and material innovation. Faculty and students contribute to interdisciplinary design development, material research, and experimental prototyping.

BRACU: Department of Architecture is renowned for its interdisciplinary and community-oriented design approach. The department includes Fuad Hasan Mollik, noted architect and Visiting Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, who will provide valuable insights for the conceptual and pedagogical aspects of the project.

Specialized in research-based documentation and archiving Documenting the full process, from concept development and material testing to final design, to create a comprehensive visual and narrative record of the project.