Stoommachine met ventilator

This photograph captures a "Stoommachine met ventilator", or steam engine with ventilator, by an anonymous artist. The image invites us to consider how technology shapes our world and our identities. During the industrial revolution steam engines emerged as symbols of progress, but also of labor and environmental impact. Think about the human labor required to build and operate these machines, often performed by marginalized communities. This machine made by Machine Fabr. Braat Soerabaia represents Dutch colonial presence in Indonesia, as Soerabaia, now Surabaya, was a key port city in the Dutch East Indies. What does it mean to witness a colonial tool of advancement? This image prompts us to think critically about whose progress is prioritized, and at what cost? How do historical forces intersect with personal experiences of progress, labor, and identity?