2018 Art Award Finalist
The Power Box, by Ashfika Rahman
This body of work projects typological survey of televisions in the villages of marginal people in Chalan bill (the largest wetlands of Bangladesh, surrounded by water). There is no electricity, people have monotonous lives but a single television, operated by battery. This is the only communication tool with other part of the country. No satellite channels, people can only watch the state-run channel. State is able to influence socio politics of this minor group of people by propaganda news. People here do not have other way to change this unexpected control. The television is playing an important role in their lives and sometimes it is promoting religious extremism as well.
This project portrays the television, as a character, as individual personality not an object, which can hold power and this power is comparable with the present cosmic reality.
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Biography
Ashfika Rahman is an artist from Dhaka, Bangladesh, formerly worked with the medium of classical dance and theater. After completing her bachelor in business administration she continued her academics at Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, Bangladesh and currently studying in Hochschule Hannover (HsH), Germany. Ashfika Rahman is a multidisciplinary artist working with photography, texts and alternative printing. Guided by an interest in systems of categorization and classification, her practice involves extensive research into the power and structure of society and the socio political issues.
Website: www.ashfikarahman.com
Finalist Gallery with Captions
The Power Box, by Ashfika Rahman [Bangladesh] is an Art Award Finalist in the Invisible Photographer Asia Awards 2018. View more 2018 Awards Finalists.
The Invisible Photographer Awards 2018 is proudly supported by G-Technology AP, Sony Singapore, GetIT Comms, Grenadier Press, Exactly Foundation, Photo Kathmandu, Spoon Creative and Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Film.
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