Untitled (Glanzbilder Auf Vietnamesen) 

Konrad Lueg's "Untitled (Glanzbilder Auf Vietnamesen)" layers a black and white photograph with colourful embossed paper images. Lueg made this work during a time when the Vietnam War was a hotly debated issue in Germany, as it was in many places throughout the world. The juxtaposition of these two distinct visual elements – Vietnamese people and the shiny pictures of idealized children – offers a stark commentary on cultural identity and the impact of Western perceptions on foreign cultures. The black and white photograph places the viewer in the historical and social context of the Vietnam War and the colourful pictures of children, typical of Western consumer culture, seem to be invading it. Lueg makes a strong statement about the emotional and cultural consequences of the war, emphasizing the loss of innocence and the disruption of traditional ways of life. The layering technique not only creates a visual tension, but also invites us to think about the complex relationship between observer and observed, reminding us to look beyond our own cultural viewpoints when considering the experiences of others.