Patrouille omgeving Sedakou 1948

This photo collage, created by Sergeant-Major Theunissen, captures scenes from a patrol around Sedakou. The images document encounters with the local population, revealing a complex dynamic of interaction and observation. Consider the images of native people assembled together; group portraits that show how they have assumed a pose for the photograph. We find that these images echo similar motifs in colonial photography and ethnographic studies, where the ‘exotic’ other is documented. But here, these images reflect more than just documentation; they tell a narrative of power dynamics and cultural exchange, filtered through the lens of the colonizer. How do such representations affect our perception? It reflects the complicated nature of cultural contact, where the act of observation and representation has left its mark. Each photo serves not just as an image but also as a cultural relic.