Standbeeld van Christian Peter Wilhelm Beuth op het Schinkelplatz, Berlijn 1868 - 1870

Editor: So this is a photograph of the statue of Christian Peter Wilhelm Beuth, taken sometime between 1868 and 1870 by Johann Friedrich Stiehm. The statue is in the Schinkelplatz in Berlin. It looks pretty imposing, and it's clearly meant to celebrate Beuth's importance, but there is not a soul to be seen. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: I'm struck by the emptiness around the monument, that stark isolation. The framing centers Beuth as a symbol of industrial progress – note the cityscape quietly sitting behind, subtly reinforcing a notion of linear advancement, so common during that period. Editor: Progress for whom, though? I mean, who benefited, and who was left behind? Curator: Exactly. This is where we need to critically examine the narratives embedded within such monuments. Beuth was instrumental in the Prussian industrial revolution, but that very industrialization also displaced communities and exacerbated existing inequalities. The statue, then, can be seen as a site of power, one that actively silences those marginalized by its celebrated progress. Does the emptiness perhaps represent this silencing? Editor: So, seeing the statue isn't just about admiring the artistry, but understanding the complex social and economic shifts happening at the time. Curator: Precisely! How power and privilege are literally set in stone. Editor: It is fascinating to consider that photographs such as these contribute to and re-inscribe such political views and that this seemingly objective picture in fact advocates for something. Thank you. Curator: It highlights the layers of meaning embedded in what might initially seem like a simple cityscape.