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 Naureen Akhter

Naureen Akhter is a Congressional Aide, serving the constituents of New York’s 14th Congressional District. As a Bangladeshi, Muslim American, Naureen saw the need to build power for her communities in light of the election of Donald Trump and the passage of the Muslim Ban. Along with several community members, she formed Muslims for Progress, working to increase civic engagement in the Muslim American community across Queens and Nassau counties. Naureen completed a fellowship with the Interfaith Center of New York’s Civic Leadership Academy and served as Recording Secretary for Community Education Council 28. She is a wife and mother to two public school children. She has a BA in physics from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Image Credit

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