Dykthan in the Morning from Col Fanner, Central Caucasus c. 1889

Curator: Vittorio Sella captured this stark image, "Dykthan in the Morning from Col Fanner, Central Caucasus," a monochrome study of mountain majesty. Editor: It’s imposing, isn’t it? The monochrome adds to the sense of permanence, while the peaks suggest both a challenge and a kind of resilience. Curator: Sella, a pioneering mountaineer, understood these symbols intimately. The mountain as a spiritual locus, a place of testing and transformation, runs deep in our collective psyche. Editor: Absolutely. But let's not forget that access to these spaces—even the idea of conquering them—is often fraught with colonial implications and issues of environmental impact. Curator: A valid point. The sublime, yes, but also the political and social narratives intertwined with landscape photography. Editor: Precisely. It pushes us to consider whose stories are told and whose are erased in these grand narratives of exploration. Curator: Seeing it now, I appreciate how Sella’s work invites a dialogue beyond just aesthetic appreciation. Editor: Agreed. There is much more to explore beyond the surface.