Koshtau-tau from the Ridge of Fytnargyn, Central Caucasus c. 1889

Curator: Vittorio Sella captured this striking photograph, "Koshtau-tau from the Ridge of Fytnargyn, Central Caucasus." Editor: Wow, it looks so imposing! All those stark, rocky peaks dusted with snow… I feel a bit breathless just looking at it. Curator: Sella's work resonates within the late 19th-century discourse of exploration and the picturesque. Photography, in that context, became a tool for documenting and, in many ways, claiming landscapes. Editor: Claiming, huh? It does make me wonder, what did the people native to that area think of these photographs? Were they part of the narrative, or just the backdrop? It’s beautiful, but a bit…cold, maybe? Curator: Precisely. The absence of human presence, or perhaps, the erasure of certain presences, speaks volumes about the power dynamics at play. Editor: Makes you think about who gets to tell the story, doesn't it? I’ll definitely be pondering that as I move on.