CITOPIR Brings Rap, Live Painting and Audiovisual Art show at AFD

CITOPIR Brings Rap, Live Painting and Audiovisual Art show at AFD

Alliance Française de Dhaka hosted CITOPIR: An Audiovisual Rap Show on Friday, October 9, marking the closing of French artist Flavien Martinel’s solo exhibition, Realms of Curiosity. The performance, held at Auditorium Nouvelle Vague, brought together rap, live painting and audiovisual art through the collaborative work of Flavien Martinel and Indian artist Manmeet Kaur.

The show combined live rap and visual expression, with Manmeet performing released tracks alongside new compositions in progress, while Flavien complemented the music with rap and live painting. Moving between sound and image, the performance explored themes of war and peace, environmental awareness, simplicity and human emotion.

The two artists are in Bangladesh for a month-long residency to develop their ongoing collaborative project, REVERSE, which brings together music, poetry, public art and participatory workshops. Working with discarded objects, natural elements and everyday materials, they explore new forms of artistic expression while raising questions about consumerism, environmental responsibility, unity and humanity’s relationship with the biosphere.

As part of the residency, Manmeet led REVERSE: Eco-Centric Rap, a creative music and sound workshop where participants experimented with rhythm, rap and sound using ordinary objects and musical instruments. Through collective composition, recording and performance, they turned everyday sounds into a shared musical expression inspired by nature.

Flavien also conducted a graffiti and 3D lettering workshop, introducing participants to graffiti, calligraphy and lettering techniques. Through experiments with light, shadow, outlines, fills and three-dimensional effects, participants explored how letters can take on new forms and express distinct meanings and identities.

Manmeet is a pioneering female emcee with more than a decade of live performance experience. Her work examines the impact of human politics on nature, and since 2020, she has incorporated field recordings into her music. Her artistic practice includes international residencies in Berlin and projects across Europe and India.

Flavien, a French multidisciplinary artist, graffiti artist, rapper and DJ, has more than 20 years of experience. Rooted in graffiti and street art, his practice ranges from large-scale public murals and canvas works to live painting. He works with spray paint, brushes, upcycled paper and natural colours, drawing on old-school hip-hop and world music to explore the relationship between artistic expression, public spaces and everyday materials. – Press release