Aanleg van de weg langs een heuvel 1903 - 1913

Curator: Let's look at this photograph, "Aanleg van de weg langs een heuvel," taken sometime between 1903 and 1913. What are your first thoughts? Editor: Well, it’s a very detailed landscape shot, almost feels like a document. I notice a construction scene with many figures working. What do you see in this image? Curator: I see more than just a construction scene; I see a narrative about power, labour, and colonial ambition embedded within that landscape. The act of building this road – dissecting the hillside – isn't neutral; it is a visible manifestation of control over the land and its people. Who benefits, and who pays the price? How might the individuals doing the labor, or perhaps displaced by this construction, view it? Editor: That’s an interesting way to look at it! I was only focusing on the literal, you’re thinking about the wider social impacts and implications. Curator: Precisely. Consider the style, realism – it strives to portray things 'as they are.' But whose reality are we seeing? Acknowledge the selective framing. Realism often obscures as much as it reveals. Ask yourself, what choices were made in capturing this particular view of the road's construction? Editor: So it’s like, we need to go beyond just what’s shown, and really think about the photographer’s choices, like their point of view and what may be left out to fully appreciate its context. Curator: Exactly! Photography during this time, even when appearing objective, served to reinforce colonial ideologies. By acknowledging these hidden dimensions, we develop a deeper understanding of the work. Editor: I never would have thought of it like that on my own, but that really opened my eyes. Thanks! Curator: Of course. Every work contains layers of meaning. Bringing those to light empowers us to think critically.