Drik Gallery – A Multi-Media Marvel
Located in the Dhanmondi residential area of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Drik Gallery and Picture Agency was established eighteen years ago by a small group of people who saw the need to provide a platform for media professionals living and working in developing countries. This innovative concept was soon recognized as valuable and like-minded people from Latin America, Asia and Africa have joined the original group in promoting the skills available within the majority world with regard to the media industry.
Drik Gallery is the largest private gallery in Bangladesh and is widely considered to be one of the finest galleries in South Asia. The gallery opened in August 1993 with the first display of World Press Photo in Bangladesh which portrayed the turmoil of the massive democratic movement that occurred in Bangladesh in the late 1980s. The fact that other galleries refused to exhibit this photographic portrayal of events that they considered to be too political, led to the building and establishing of Drik Gallery. The gallery is split into two levels with 446 running feet of permanent wall space. High-profile national and international shows are hosted at the gallery, often portraying a theme, such as Nature’s Fury, Tales From a Globalizing World and The War We Forgot.
In addition to the gallery, Drik has of a number of departments catering for the many facets of the exciting media industry. Drik Picture Library was created in 1989 partly as an agency selling images, but also as a support structure to strengthen the position of majority world photographers as professionals in the global media environment. To this end the agency conducts workshops, as well as providing bursaries and guidance on copyright and ethical issues. It also plays an integral role in negotiating fair terms of contract with clients. Drik Picture Library is the leading photo agency in South Asia serving as an archive and as a source of stock images with a unique collection from around the world.
The fully equipped photographic studio at Drik provides trend-setting, high quality photographic images that are displayed on magazine covers and billboards, as well as on packaging and business brochures. The Print Production and Event Management Department executes both print and digital publications using cutting edge technology. Other departments handle multimedia, while digital printing and audio visual complete the comprehensive media package that has helped Drik establish its well earned reputation in Bangladesh and beyond its borders.
