Pagina 100 en 101 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This is pages 100 and 101 from a photobook by J.W. Meyster, showcasing the rubber plantations of the Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra. The image presents a landscape transformed by industry. What was once a natural environment is now a meticulously cultivated space, shaped by the demands of rubber production. These landscapes embody a complicated intersection of colonialism, labor, and environmental exploitation. It invites us to consider the human cost of our commodities and the impact on local communities. The photobook was published at a time when the Dutch East Indies were a crucial source of wealth for the Netherlands, and the rubber industry was at the forefront of this economic exploitation. Consider the labor of indigenous people, the displacement, and the environmental degradation. The placid image of the land obscures the exploitation that took place there. What do we see when we confront the uneasy relationship between beauty, history, and colonialism?