Gezicht op het Ottomaanse deel van de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1885 in Antwerpen before 1885

Curator: I’m struck by this photographic print, "Gezicht op het Ottomaanse deel van de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1885 in Antwerpen," before 1885. The figures are frozen in what appears to be a carefully arranged tableau within the Ottoman section of the world's fair. What's your initial take on it? Editor: I find it compelling! It gives a snapshot into a past perspective, the construction and display of another culture. What stands out to you, though? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the construction of this "Ottoman section" itself. It's not simply about the objects displayed, but about the very act of staging a culture for consumption. Notice the diverse materiality on display—from textiles and adornments to building materials we can’t quite discern. Think about the labor involved in gathering and transporting these materials, in building this temporary world for a fleeting exhibition. What does this suggest to you about Europe’s relationship with the Ottoman Empire at this time? Editor: That’s interesting. It wasn't simply about acquiring goods, but also about building this whole world, using labour from the Ottoman Empire itself, to present back to the European gaze. Curator: Exactly. This world's fair exhibit is a commodity itself. A spectacle manufactured for European audiences, concealing a complex network of labour and resource extraction behind this seemingly innocent, exotic display. We’re not looking at Ottoman culture, we are seeing it meticulously recreated, carefully controlled and curated, arguably furthering colonial economic interests and asserting dominance over the representation of other cultures. Editor: I never thought about world's fairs that way, as part of the engine of colonialism! It really shifts my perspective on the photo. Curator: Thinking about the image through this lens exposes the complicated dynamics inherent in how cultures are presented and consumed. Seeing the World Fair as commodity shifts everything!