ShahidulNews

World Press Photo In Dhaka: Behind The Scenes

With hundreds of people seeing the show every day, and excellent media
coverage, it might appear as if the staging of WPP photo in Bangladesh was a
smooth well organised affair. As Marc will testify, the reality was very
different. For those of you who have seen the show at the gallery or online,
this behind the scenes look will provide an amusing take on a potential
disaster.

The crates had arrived at Zia International Airport on the 24th of December
2003, but the journey from Zia to Dhanmondi took considerably longer. The
opening was at 4:00 pm on the 7th January 2004. By 3:30 pm, the crates
hadn’t arrived! We did know they had left the airport, and was able to tell
the Dutch Ambassador that it was safe for him to come over. The head of the
caretaker government, our chief guest, Justice Habibur Rahman was already on
his way. The adrenaline was flowing!

World Press Photo Opens in Dhaka

Well, the show is still stuck at the airport, and Marc has been
loitering around the streets of Dhaka, but we are still hopeful that the
biggest show of the year will open tomorrow (7th January) at 4:00 pm at
the Drik Gallery. The exhibition will be opened by former Chief Justice
and Chief Adviser to the caretaker government Justice Muhammad Habibur
Rahman.

——

We live in difficult times. Not only do we need to combat the
suppression of press freedom locally, but we also need to fight the
unrestrained propaganda that camouflages as news in mainstream western
media. The use of the media for propaganda is not new. While embedded
journalism has only recently been institutionalised, the mechanism has
been in place ever since the US failed ‘to manage’ the media during the
invasion of Grenada. However, the global reach of some western media
organisations give them a reach that is unprecedented. The new forms of
imperialism are also supported by tacit support from local
representatives of western governments, as well as the developmental and
cultural organisations they support. Ironically, these are the very
organisations that promote ‘free press and democracy’ in our countries
while local media organisations operate under the silent pressures of
tied aid and thinly veiled threats of ‘withdrawal of support’.

It is ten years since we first brought World Press Photo (WPP) to the
region. Now WPP is not only a regular feature in our calendar, but the
show has also travelled to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The WPP workshops
have also been held in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. Showing the
finest photojournalism exhibition in the world has had a visible impact
in our development of press photography. Bangladeshis have won awards,
been accepted for Masterclass, and been represented in both the adult
and child juries of WPP.

Despite these successes, it is our ability to withstand these local and
international pressures, which will determine whether we can ever become
a media of the people. Political and financial independence doesn’t come
easy. However, it is not the west or our politicians, or our sponsors
who hold the key. The compromises we make along the way, the favours we
accept, and our selective blind-spots will eventually circumscribe our
freedoms. Through this exhibition we celebrate the professionalism, the
dedication, the compassion and the love for this freedom that many
photojournalists demonstrate.

Shahidul Alam

Chairman of the Jury 2003 Tags: aid, Shahidul Alam, strings, world press photo

Unwritten Histories

Books in library shelves hold images that have shaped history. Familiar
names, recognisable images and anecdotal tales, remind us of the greats
in photography. Students study the trends set by cult figures and
established masters. Experts at Sotheby’s tell you whose work to invest
in. Limited edition prints in gallery walls, sport price tags
commensurate with branding. The market decides. The signature says it
all. The occasional controversy over the veracity of some historic image
may cause a minor blip, but the myths live on, embalmed by scholars and
other experts, who teach us what to value. A discovery causes a stir,
and accolades follow for the discoverer and the discovered. They
reaffirm the inclusiveness of it all.

Lost amongst the library shelves are some names that have taken a
different route. They have worked within their own communities, far from
the gallery walls. Some indeed have become household names despite this
distance. Others have moved to the geographical epicentres of the
industry. Each one however, has left an indelible stamp on the community
that nurtured them. They have given hope, inspired and become role
models for many communities that do not exist in those library tomes,
except as a passing canvas of some recognised genius.

Turning their lens around at their own societies and their own craft,
they have asked questions of themselves. Probing, searching,
challenging, they have unsettled their own universe, asking hard and
demanding answers. While discovery for some have come despite their
peripheral role, others remain unknown, except in the communities they
have chosen to immerse themselves in. This calendar celebrates the
vision, the tenacity and the enormous skills of these individuals, rare
in any society, who have chosen to make a difference. It pays homage to
their unwritten history.

————————————————————————

Chien-Chi Chang In 1999 Taiwanese Magnum photographer Chien-Chi Chang won the Eugene Smith Award for Humanistic Photography, the Visa d’Or in magazine photography in Perpignan, was named the Missouri/NPPA Magazine Photographer of the Year and was awarded the first prize in the category “Daily Life Story” from World Press Photo.

Diego Goldberg Working internationally since 1971, Diego Goldberg was President Mitterand’s personal photographer. As the director of photography of Clarin newspaper in Argentina, he won the Gold Medal at the Society of Publications Design Annual Awards. He was one of the masters at the World Press Photo “Masterclass” in 1996.

Graciela Iturbide Graciela Iturbide studied under Manuel Alvarez Bravo and later worked with him. She was part of the Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte, Conaculta, Fonca. Widely published and exhibited, her work is collected by major museums in Latin America, North America and Europe.

Kishor Parekh As chief photographer with the Hindustan Times from 1961 to 1967, Kishor Parekh introduced the concept of picture-stories in India. Often at odds with his editors and the celebrities he photographed, he fought for space, both on the turf and on the printed page. His coverage of liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 is considered one of the finest documentations of the war.

Lucía Chiriboga Chiriboga is a sociologist, a photographer and a researcher on the history of photography. She is the director of the “Visual Center Workshop for Photographic and Communications Research” in Queto city, a private foundation dedicated to the research, cataloguing and analysis of early Ecuadorian photography.

Pablo Ortiz Monasterio One of the greatest street photographers of Mexico, Pablo Ortiz Monasterio has also worked as editor of the magazine Luna Cornea, and was one of the founders of the Centra de la Imagen in Mexico City. He has also worked as an independent curator. An ability to combine humour and irony while dealing with stark subjects characterises his work.

Pedro Meyer A pioneer of digital photography, Pedro Meyer is editor of the most visited photography website in the world – www.zonezero.com. He created the Latin American Colloquiums of Photography and founded the Mexican Council of Photography. Using Macromedia Director 1.0 he created the first CD-ROM containing photographs and sound in 1991.

Peter Magubane Torture, a total of 586 days in solitary confinement and being shot 14 times below the waist with buckshot, failed to stop Peter Magubane from “demonstrating with my camera”. Africa’s best known photographer has documented the most significant moments of his country’s struggle against apartheid.

Raghu Rai Raghu Rai was awarded the ‘Padmashree’ in 1971, one of India’s highest civilian awards. As the photo editor of India Today he was instrumental in changing the way photography was used in Indian newspapers. He has been associated with Magnum Photos since 1977. His books include Indira Gandhi, Taj Mahal, Calcutta, Mother Teresa and My Land and its People.

Reza Deghati Jailed for over three years by the Shah’s regime for “showing the poverty and injustice in Tehran”, Reza Deghati is considered one of the best photojournalists in the world. Reza is the founder of the NGO AINA which works for the development of independent media and cultural expression in Afghanistan.

Shahidul Alam Photographer, writer, teacher and activist Shahidul Alam set up Drik Picture Library, Pathshala – The South Asian Institute of Photography and Chobi Mela the festival of photography in Asia. An information technology pioneer in Bangladesh, Alam is currently involved in setting up a regional centre for investigative journalism.

Tara Sosrowardoyo Famous for his work as an album-cover art director and photographer Tara Sosrowardoyo was also a stills photographer for feature films. His diverse work in advertising, editorial, journalism, fashion and portraiture has been used in Time, Newsweek and Vogue. He has several books and audio visual programmes on Indonesia.

Well, the Drik 2004 Calendar is now available. Feast yourself on this
list of photographers:

Chien-Chi Chang, Diego Goldberg, Graciela Iturbide, Kishor Parekh, Lucia
Chiriboga, Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, Pedro Meyer, Peter Magubane, Raghu
Rai, Reza Deghati, Shahidul Alam, Tara Sosrowardoyo.

Special thanks to Claudia Pretelin, Maria Mann, Neo Ntsome, Robin
Comely, Stefana Fraboulet and Swapan Parekh for their help.

Best wishes for the Gregorian New Year.

Shahidul