Gezicht op de Congreskolom in Brussel 1861 - 1870

Here we have an undated stereoscopic photograph of the Congreskolom in Brussels by an artist known only as BT. This monument, completed in 1859, commemorates the establishment of the Belgian constitution. The column rises as a symbol of national pride, but what stories are left unrepresented in this stone? Consider the voices of the working class, the women, and the colonized populations, who were all but absent from the narratives of nationhood. How do their experiences complicate this seemingly straightforward image of unity and progress? This photograph freezes a moment in time, asking us to reflect on who is included and who is excluded from the grand narratives of history. Perhaps we can use this image of a monument to the past to question the very foundations upon which nations are built, and to imagine a more inclusive future.