Drottningholm, Sweden

Kenneth Josephson made this gelatin silver print, "Drottningholm, Sweden," using photographic means. Here, we can see Josephson playing with the politics of imagery. The image shows a photograph of the palace at Drottningholm held up in front of the actual palace. Made in the latter half of the 20th century, the work highlights the relationship between representation and reality and how the former can mediate our understanding of the latter. The palace at Drottningholm, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, represents Swedish royalty and power. However, by inserting a photograph into the scene, Josephson draws attention to the ways in which images can construct and shape our perceptions of such institutions. The image also evokes the social conditions that shape artistic production. The rise of photography in the 20th century democratized image-making, challenging the traditional role of painting as the primary means of representation. With art historical research, we can come to better understand Josephson's conceptual intervention.