Drik Picture Library, in collaboration with the World Press Photo Foundation, has inaugurated the foundation's 70th-anniversary exhibition titled "What Have We Done? Unpacking Seven Decades of World Press Photo" at DrikPath Bhobon in Dhaka. Curated by Spanish artist and photographer Christina Di Middel, the exhibition was previously showcased in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Groningen, the Netherlands.
The opening ceremony on Friday evening featured remarks from Anna Kućma, Manager, Programmes at World Press Photo; Sohrab Hasan, Editor of Chaarcha; and Shahidul Alam, Managing Director of Drik. The event was moderated by Drik's General Manager and curator ASM Rezaur Rahman.
Reflecting on the exhibition, Shahidul Alam said the retrospective—particularly the section on the 1970s—underscores the need for self-reflection within visual culture.
"What is currently happening is a crucial exercise in self-criticism. Examining the photographs reveals underlying issues, and without self-reflection, no real change can occur," he said.
Photo: Courtesy
He added that visual literacy must become a part of mainstream education:
"Students learn maths, history and geography, but they are not taught to understand images. Yet images shape how people think. With proper awareness, we can begin asking critical questions about what a picture represents."
Speaking at the event, Anna Kućma thanked Christina Di Middel for her curatorial work and acknowledged Drik as the regional partner.
"The World Press Photo Archive is a remarkable testament to global history and to photographers who devoted their lives to public interest, often at great personal risk," she said.
Photo: Courtesy
She noted that archives today are no longer viewed merely as historical records:
"They are active sites of interpretation where memory and meaning are constantly revisited, challenged and reshaped."
Journalist and editor Sohrab Hasan reflected on the politics of image selection and narrative.
"Choosing an image means deciding what story you want to tell. Am I trying to subjugate someone, or am I bringing rebellion to the forefront?" he said.
In the context of Bangladesh's Victory Month, he added,
"Images remain the primary witnesses to the Liberation War. They preserve the irreplaceable past of 1971."
Running alongside the exhibition is a pop-up festival co-organised with World Press Photo. Earlier this week, a three-day workshop on photojournalism and visual narrative was led by Gabrielle Fonseca Johnson, South Asia Editor for Reuters Pictures. A keynote talk and panel discussion will be held on Saturday, 6 December 2025, at 4:30pm.
The exhibition will remain open to the public until 20 December 2025, every day from 3:00pm to 8:00pm at DrikPath Bhobon.
