THROUGH AFGHAN EYES: A CULTURE IN CONFLICT, 1987-1992
MARCH 19 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 15, 2002

A powerful exhibition of photography and video images documenting the closing years of Soviet rule and the gradual collapse of civil society in Afghanistan will be held at the Asia Society and Museum, March 19 through September 15, 2002. Drawn from the archives of the Afghan Media Resource Center in Peshawar, Pakistan, the exhibition presents photos and video loops depicting daily life in Afghanistan against the backdrop of the Soviet occupation. These materials, the work of Afghan photographers and cameramen, provide a critical perspective on the circumstances preceding the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The newly renovated Asia Society and Museum is located at 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street) in New York City.

According to Vishakha N. Desai, Senior Vice President of the Asia Society and Director of the Museum and Cultural programs, "As an institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia, the Asia Society is uniquely positioned to help inform the American public about Afghanistan and the surrounding regions. We are very pleased to be showing this timely exhibition of photography in conjunction with other public programming, as a part of an ongoing institutional initiative in response to September 11."

"Through Afghan Eyes" provides a window on how Afghanistan fell apart during the Soviet war. It also helps illuminate how radical and terrorist elements seeped into an area of the world on the verge of prosperity in the 1970s that was once a major cultural and commercial center on the Silk Road.

The Afghan Media Resource Center was founded in 1987, with the assistance of the College of Communication at Boston University and the U.S. Information Agency. The stated objective of the Center was to train Afghan journalists to cover the war inside their country at a time when few Western reporters or film crews were willing to risk the hazards of working in such challenging circumstances. Towards this goal, Boston University sent instructors to provide basic training in news gathering, photography and video production. Trained in American techniques, AMRC journalists traveled throughout Afghanistan and supplied images and stories for media outlets throughout the world.

The extraordinary archive that AMRC accumulated over the period from 1989 to 1995 attracted the attention of Williams College professor David Edwards. Aware of the historical value of the archive and its vulnerability to degradation in Pakistan's hot and dusty climate, he organized a collaboration between his own institution and AMRC to preserve the materials. A delegation of AMRC staffers spent the last summer at Williams College training in photo-scanning, non-linear video editing, database design and other techniques that will make digital copies of the material available for scholarly and educational purposes. This exhibition is drawn from the portion of the archive that was brought to Williams College from Pakistan for digitization.

Curated by an interdisciplinary team from Williams College (David Edwards, anthropology; Holly Edwards, art history; Liza Johnson, video art), in collaboration with Shahmahmood Miakhel (Afghan journalist), "Through Afghan Eyes" provides provocative and often surprising images of an occupied culture. The show is organized thematically, reflecting values indigenous to Afghan society: zendagi (daily life), watan (homeland), nang (honor), iman (belief). Still photographs, video loops and wall texts offer the visitor with a rare opportunity to see beyond the combat bulletins and stereotypes of daily newspaper coverage. The video footage, in particular, is striking for its intimate record of people dealing with a seemingly endless war.

In addition to text panels and other written materials, there are docent tours, audio tours, and other educational facilities for Museum visitors and teachers. The Asia Society has a strong education program and works with school groups through specially designed docent gallery tours and teacher education. Teacher training workshops have been designed in conjunction with the exhibition.

"Through Afghan Eyes" is part of a large-scale public programming effort by the Asia Society in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks and the growing need on the part of the American public for reliable information about Afghanistan and the surrounding regions. America's Crisis: Asian Perspectives is a multi-year, multidisciplinary initiative, aimed at promoting understanding behind the headlines and beyond the stereotypes.

Programs will not only focus on history, politics and religion, but will also provide cultural perspectives of this region through exhibitions, film, and music. In conjunction with the exhibition, special programming will explore Afghan history, politics, culture, and religion. Highlights are a performance by Afghan musicians and a film series, A People Apart: Films about Afghanistan, including recent feature films and documentaries about Afghanistan. The selection includes Safar e Ghandehar (Khandahar) by Moshen Makhmalbaf; Djome by Yektapanah; Jung (War) in the Land of the Mujaheddin by Fabrizio Lazzaretti and Alberto Vendemmiati, and others.

The Asia Society will also continue to address related policy and business issues in immediate response to September 11, and will take a broader view of the Central and South Asian regions and provide a greater understanding of Islam. An important part of these programs will be examining Islam in America and Asian American perspectives to the crisis and the U.S. response.

The latest information on special programming at Asia Society and Museum is available on the Society's award-winning family of websites, accessible through www.AsiaSociety.org. In addition, the Society has developed a major, web-based resource, currently available on AsiaSource (www.AsiaSource.org), which details the widespread reaction in Asia to September 11, and provides extensive background on the important issues, regions and players involved.

Other exhibitions on view concurrently at the Asia Society and Museum are: "The New Way of Tea," comprising nontraditional avant-garde teahouses and utensils by contemporary architects, designers and artists, organized in collaboration with the Japan Society (March 6 through May 19, 2002); and "The Creative Eye: New Perspectives on the Asia Society's Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection," in which prominent artists, writers, musicians and performing artists have selected their favorite pieces from the Society's renowned permanent collection (through April 14, 2002).

"Through Afghan Eyes" is part of the America's Crisis: Asian Perspectives series sponsored by Citigroup. Citigroup is proud to support this multidisciplinary series of policy, business, cultural, and education programs that explore recent world events from a variety of perspectives. Additional support for the "Through Afghan Eyes" exhibition is provided by the W.L.S. Spencer Foundation.

Support for the Asia Society's Cultural Programs is provided by the Friends of Asian Arts, The Starr Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds, Hazen Polsky Foundation, Ruth and Harold Newman, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Doris Wiener, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

The Asia Society and Museum, located at 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street) recently reopened to the public following an extensive renovation and expansion. The new design has doubled the Society's public and gallery areas, significantly improving conference, education, and performance facilities. The Asia Society is America's leading institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. A nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution, the Asia Society presents a wide range of programs including major art exhibitions, performances, media programs, international conferences and lectures, and initiatives to improve elementary and secondary education about Asia. The Asia Society is headquartered in New York City, with regional centers in Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Melbourne, Australia, and representative offices in San Francisco, Manila and Shanghai. For more information, contact the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021. (212) 288-6400. (www.asiasociety.org). Asia Society and Museum hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 11:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M., with extended evening hours Fridays until 9:00 P.M. Closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission: $7; $5 for seniors and students with ID; free for members and persons under 16; and free to all on Friday evenings, 6:00 - 9:00 P.M.

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