Drukkerij van de Deli Courant te Medan 1898 - 1899

This photograph captures the Drukkerij van de Deli Courant in Medan. Although taken by an anonymous photographer, the image offers a clear structure, divided horizontally into foreground, middle ground, and sky. Notice how the vertical lines of the trees create a screen that partially obscures the building. This contrasts with the clear, horizontal lines of the building itself. The composition employs a visual rhetoric that suggests a tension between nature and the imposed order of architecture. The photograph uses a limited tonal range, which flattens the space and emphasizes the abstract qualities of form. The building, a center for disseminating information, is framed and partly hidden. This raises questions about the control and mediation inherent in the distribution of knowledge, suggesting a structural commentary on power. It invites viewers to consider how spaces and their representations shape our understanding.