Known for addressing colonial histories and erasures through traditional Indian and Persian manuscript paintings, Artist Shahzia Sikander is creating two sculptures for her first major public art commission in New York City. “Witness” is installed in Madison Square Park, a short distance from its counterpart, “Now,” sitting atop the Appellate Division, First Department, Supreme Court of the State of New York alongside statues of famous lawmakers like King Louis IV and Moses. Through these pieces, Shahzia reimagines the monument as a marker of boundary-breaking, feminine spirit, and collective visibility. Shahzia's work is especially timely in light of recent legislative battles surrounding women’s reproductive rights in the United States, as well as the ongoing fight for equitable representation in society at large.

Director Biography - Andrea Yu-Chieh Chung

Andrea Yu-Chieh Chung is a Taiwanese nonfiction filmmaker based in the New York metropolitan area. Her documentary shorts, including Finding Nasseebi and Sleepwalker, have screened at festivals around the world, such as London International Documentary Festival, Riga International Film Festival, Sharjah Film Platform, and Cinequest Film Festival. She has produced and edited digital shorts for VICE World News, Reel Works, and Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies. She holds an MFA from Stanford University.