Gezicht op een nagebouwd Congolees dorp tijdens de wereldtentoonstelling te Antwerpen 1894

Th. Lantin created this photograph of a reconstructed Congolese village at the Antwerp World Fair. The photograph encapsulates the complex social dynamics of late 19th-century Europe, particularly Belgium, during the height of its colonial expansion. World Fairs were displays of industrial and cultural achievements, however this image highlights the problematic ways in which colonized people were represented. The "Congolese village" was a constructed environment designed to showcase a romanticized and exoticized view of Congolese life, which was an attempt to justify the Belgian colonial project. The photograph serves as a cultural artifact, reflecting the institutional and political structures that enabled such displays. To truly understand the photograph, we must engage with archives and historical records that reveal the experiences of those who were displayed. In doing so, we are better equipped to understand the political role of art and its power in shaping social norms.