Vue de la Ville Chinoise (Cholen) Feuille No. 5, Saïgon, Cochinchine 1866

Editor: Here we have Émile Gsell's "Vue de la Ville Chinoise (Cholen) Feuille No. 5, Saïgon, Cochinchine," an albumen print from 1866. I'm immediately struck by how busy it is; there’s so much commerce on the water, a real sense of bustling activity, but also something about the light that feels a bit melancholic. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: It’s important to consider this photograph within the context of French colonialism. Gsell was working during a period of intense colonial expansion in Southeast Asia. This image, like many from that era, exoticizes the “Orient” for a Western audience. Do you see how the composition subtly reinforces a power dynamic? The viewer is positioned as an observer, looking onto a scene of ‘otherness’. Editor: I hadn’t considered that specific positioning, but now I see it. It's easy to look at it as a historical document without thinking about the photographer's intent, and the context of French colonialism. How does the albumen print process itself contribute to that exoticization? Curator: The albumen process, popular at the time, often created a soft, romanticized image. It’s less about sharp, documentary realism and more about constructing a visually appealing ‘fantasy’ of the East. This particular view is of Cholon, a historically significant Chinese district. The framing suggests a curated view, a spectacle rather than a genuine interaction or engagement with the local population. It subtly erases the voices and agency of the people who lived and worked there. Editor: That makes me see the photo in a totally different light. I guess I initially took the photograph at face value but without considering Gsell's intentions in the context of that colonial history. Thanks for the new perspective! Curator: It's precisely that critical questioning, situating the artwork within its socio-political landscape, that allows us to unpack these complex visual narratives.