Art Tour: 'Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power'

Shahidul Alam (b. 1955, Dhaka, Bangladesh); Airport Goodbye; Dhaka Airport, Bangladesh; 1996; photograph; courtesy of Shahidul Alam/Drik/Majority World

At Dhaka International Airport, only passengers were allowed into the terminal building. It was difficult to hear across the glass wall, except through the gap at the hinge, so people took turns speaking. One would speak, and the other would turn their head to listen. Here, a woman bids goodbye to her man, unsure of when they might meet again. — Shahidul Alam

Docent-led tours of Asia Society Texas Center's exhibitions allow visitors to experience art on a personal level, learn about art historical periods and styles, and hear stories associated with the artwork. Join us for a docent-led tour of our Shahidul Alam: Truth to Power exhibition currently on view.

About the Exhibition

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 60 images and ephemera will show the breadth of his practice and impact throughout his four-decade career. The exhibition includes portraits, landscapes, and scenes of daily life, strife, and resistance in the "majority world" — a phrase Alam has used since the 1990s to reframe the notion of the "third world" or "global south." The term also confronts the ways in which Western media continues to define how the majority of the world's population — especially Bangladesh — is portrayed in relation to poverty and disaster.

The exhibition explores how art can be a tool for social justice. "My introduction into photography was for political reasons. It was social justice I was after and I recognized that photography was this powerful tool. And if I was going to fight, I would use the most powerful tools available. I took on photography but I'm not married to the medium. It's social justice I'm after and I will use whatever tool that works at any particular time,'" states Alam.

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.

Tour Tips

Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour. Groups arriving more than 15 minutes prior to scheduled start time should remain in our Grand Hall until tour staff and docents are ready. Latecomers may join the tour in progress.
Tours last approximately 60 minutes and involve a minimal amount of walking. Wheelchair access is available throughout the building.
Photography without flash is permitted.

Health and Safety Protocols

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, additional policies and procedures are in place to protect the health and safety of our guests, staff, and docents. Policies are informed by current recommendations from local, state, and federal health officials, agencies, and authorities including Harris County recommendations and CDC guidelines.

Each in-person tour is limited to 10 participants. All participants and docents are required to wear masks, and physical distancing of 6 feet or more between parties is required during the tour. Guests exhibiting any signs of illness are required to exit the building and asked to return on a future date. Complimentary masks are provided to guests without their own.

Learn more about our health and safety guidelines to prepare for your visit »

Education and Outreach programs at Asia Society Texas Center are presented by Wells Fargo. Generous funding also provided by Margie and Joe Blommaert, Cathay Bank Foundation, Chevron, the George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation, and H-E-B. Additional support is provided by Friends of Asia Society Texas Center, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in exhibitions and public programming to Houston.

Presenting Sponsor