Act One: A Century in the Making is a chronicle of the world’s most profound transformations of this new millennium in imagery and analysis. Bringing together resonant imagery with original essays by leading scholars and thinkers, this publication explores how the first quarter of the21st century has shaped the global landscape. Act One offers readers a deeply immersive experience unfolding over 500 pages of striking photography and thought-provoking essays that together form a unique chronicle of our time.

Subjects addressed include climate change, global conflict, race in America, geopolitics, migration, technology, human rights, and global health. Emerging from the collaboration of photographers across the globe, drawing on the vision of W. Eugene Smith Award recipients, Guggenheim Fellows, Fulbright Scholars, NEA grantees, and Pulitzer Prize winners, Act One finds its essence at the intersection of imagery and analysis, standing as a testament to a rapidly changing world.

Act One will be published in the fall of 2026 and presented alongside an exhibition opening at QCC Art Gallery in New York, with plans to travel to select universities, colleges, and museums, while also exploring opportunities with international cultural institutions.

Ultimately, Act One invites us to pause and reflect; on how far we’ve come, what we’ve endured, and the challenges that still lie ahead. In this defining moment, it offers a poignant reminder that we are standing at the threshold of a century still in the making. It urges us to bear witness to the first 25 years of the 21st century and to confront where we are, reckon with who we are, and imagine what we might yet become.

We are living through a period of extraordinary transition. From the cascading effects of climate change and the rise of authoritarianism to the transformative power of new technologies and the global reckoning on race and inequality, the 21st century has begun with challenges and shifts few could have anticipated.

Act One: A Century in the Making responds to this moment by asking:
What have we learned since 2000?
How have these changes impacted our shared humanity?
And what stories do we need to carry forward into the future?

This exhibition and publication aim not only to document but also to provoke dialogue, foster critical reflection, and inspire a more connected global awareness. It is essential reading for those seeking to understand the century we are living through and how we arrived here.