Drik anniversary on the Independent

The Independent

On September 4, Drik marked 23 years as a distinctive multimedia establishment with a special programme at the Drik Gallery in Dhanmondi. A significant feature of the programme was Drik?s tribute to Bangladesh?s legendary photographer Golam Kasem Daddy with the fourth in a series of commemorative lectures. This year?s presentation will be by artist and curator Wakilur Rahman on curating contemporary art and art practice in Bangladesh. Among others present at the celebration were National Geographic photographer and humanitarian Reza Deghati, who also addressed the gathering. Shahidul Alam, Managing Director of Drik spoke about appreciating fine art prints and presented a unique collection of vintage photographic prints from the Drik archives. These rare prints by Bangladesh?s renowned photographers are being exhibited at Drik Gallery and available for sale for the first time in Bangladesh.
Drik also presented two very interesting but diverse additional exhibitions. The first, ?Moving News to Digital Platforms? showcases the unique initiative the Rural Visual Journalism Network where district correspondents use the Apple i-Pod Touch to produce multimedia stories from rural Bangladesh. The second exhibition is the Majority World?s exhibition ?Insider, Outsider??, a photography exhibition that challenges perceptions of the developing world. The exhibition was held recently at Guardian Gallery in London and includes the work of Drik Picture Agency (DPA) photographers A.M. Ahad, Farzana Hossen, M. Anisul Hoque from Bangladesh; Iran?s Shadi Gadrian and Sri Lanka?s Dominic Sansoni among the 17 featured photographers. All exhibitions will be open every day from 3 to 8 pm, until September 12.
(DL desk)

Author: Shahidul Alam

Time Magazine Person of the Year 2018. A photographer, writer, curator and activist, Shahidul Alam obtained a PhD in chemistry before switching to photography. His seminal work “The Struggle for Democracy” contributed to the removal of General Ershad. Former president of the Bangladesh Photographic Society, Alam set up the Drik agency, Chobi Mela festival and Pathshala, South Asian Media Institute, considered one of the finest schools of photography in the world. Shown in MOMA New York, Centre Georges Pompidou, Royal Albert Hall and Tate Modern, Alam has been guest curator of Whitechapel Gallery, Winterthur Gallery and Musee de Quai Branly. His awards include Mother Jones, Shilpakala Award and Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dali International Festival of Photography. Speaker at Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, Oxford and Cambridge universities, TEDx, POPTech and National Geographic, Alam chaired the international jury of the prestigious World Press Photo contest. Honorary Fellow of Royal Photographic Society, Alam is visiting professor of Sunderland University in UK and advisory board member of National Geographic Society. John Morris, the former picture editor of Life Magazine describes his book “My journey as a witness”, (listed in “Best Photo Books of 2011” by American Photo), as “The most important book ever written by a photographer.” View all posts by Shahidul Alam