Rij huizen in Nederlands-Indië c. 1920 - 1930

Editor: Here we have Klaas Kleiterp's photograph, "Rij huizen in Nederlands-Indië", taken sometime between 1920 and 1930. It’s a gelatin-silver print depicting a row of houses in what was then the Dutch East Indies. The muted tones give it a sense of distance, both temporal and geographical. What strikes you when you look at this piece? Curator: This photograph, presented through an orientalist lens, demands that we consider the complex relationship between colonizer and colonized. While ostensibly a simple cityscape, it serves as a document, albeit a biased one, of Dutch colonial presence and its impact on the architectural landscape and the social fabric of the Dutch East Indies. How do you interpret the composition? Is it a neutral observation, or does it reinforce a particular power dynamic? Editor: I see what you mean. It feels staged, like a carefully constructed image for a European audience. There’s not much visible activity, making it feel almost… sterile. Curator: Precisely. This 'sterility' can be seen as a visual manifestation of colonial control – an attempt to sanitize and present a palatable image of the colony. Who benefits from this image? Whose stories are silenced by this carefully curated perspective? We should also ask how this work intersects with other visual representations of the colony produced during that period. Does this photo celebrate colonialism, or is it documenting a historical situation? Editor: That’s a lot to think about. I initially saw it as just a historical image, but now I realize it’s so much more loaded than I initially thought. Curator: Art provides a window into history but also reflects power structures of the time. It is key to approach art informed and ready to engage in this social commentary. Editor: Thank you. This deeper dive really changed how I see the photograph now.