Truth to Power

The Rubin Museum and PEN America present the Truth to Power exhibition tour series, led by Bangladeshi activists and members of the PEN America team.

Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power presents the first comprehensive U.S. museum survey of Shahidul Alam, the renowned Bangladeshi photographer, writer, activist, and institution-builder and a Time magazine Person of the Year in 2018. Over 40 images and ephemera will show the breadth of his practice and impact throughout his four-decade career.

This pioneering exhibition aims to provide visitors with a nuanced view of Bangladesh and South Asia, to explore systems of personal and collective agency, and to underscore the importance of self-representation, empowerment, and truth as embodied in Alam’s life and work.

This program is presented in partnership with PEN America and ARC

About Raihan Faroqui

Raihan Faroqui is a physician, health technology consultant, Muslim and Bangladeshi community organizer, political campaign strategist, and outspoken critic of gender-based violence. Born and raised in Rockland County, New York, he is a proud Bangladeshi-American, with a large family hailing from Comilla and a large diaspora presence in Western Europe and New York. He leads clinical business development at Biotia, a Cornell-launched early stage start-up company building artificial intelligence-powered, next-generation sequencing technology to improve rapid diagnostic testing for infectious disease. As a social activist and organizer, he is connected to various artists, organizers, activists, financiers, and healthcare professionals in the Bangladeshi diaspora of the greater NYC area and aims to build an inspiring millennial movement showcasing their heritage.

Image Credit

Shahidul Alam (b. 1955, Dhaka, Bangladesh); Sailboat Fishing for Ilish; Daulatdia, Bangladesh; 2001; photograph; courtesy of Shahidul Alam/Drik/Majority World