Gezicht op Genua c. 1860 - 1880

Editor: This is "Gezicht op Genua," a gelatin-silver print by Giorgio Sommer, taken sometime between 1860 and 1880. It's a view of Genoa's harbor, packed with ships. The details are incredible, capturing so much of the city. How do you interpret this work? Curator: For me, this photograph is less about a picturesque view and more about the socio-economic realities it inadvertently documents. Gelatin-silver prints became popular precisely because of their relative ease of production and reproducibility. We have to consider Sommer's studio as a site of labor, a factory churning out images for consumption by tourists eager for Orientalist views of Europe. What kind of labor would have gone into producing such an image? Editor: So you're suggesting it’s more about the process than the artistic vision? The technical aspect? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the conditions, the materials used – where did they come from, who processed them? Also, what role does this image play in creating and reinforcing a specific vision of Genoa for outside consumers? It’s not just a city; it's a commodity being packaged and sold. What social relations were embedded in the act of its creation, and what did it then serve to reproduce? Editor: That makes me think about the labor involved in the shipping industry represented in the picture itself. And who benefited from that? Curator: Exactly! The materiality of the photograph draws attention to these historical and social undercurrents. It's not just a picture, it's a product of complex material processes. How do you think understanding the materials and labour behind this print changes our viewing experience? Editor: It completely changes the focus, from simply admiring the view to questioning the forces that shaped that view and profited from it. Thanks, that gives me a lot to consider! Curator: Indeed, viewing art with a materialist perspective helps us to uncover the intricate networks of labor, materials, and power embedded within them.