Expositie van Duitse objecten tijdens de wereldtentoonstelling te Antwerpen 1894

Th. Lantin captured this image, “Expositie van Duitse objecten tijdens de wereldtentoonstelling te Antwerpen”, during the World Fair in Antwerp. World Fairs, like this one, were celebrations of industrial and cultural achievement, but they were also potent displays of imperial power. Note the focus on German objects; this fair occurred during a period of intense nationalism and competition among European powers. Germany, a relatively new nation at the time, was keen to assert its industrial and cultural prowess on the global stage. The arrangement of the exhibition itself speaks volumes. How are these objects presented? What narratives do they construct about German identity and progress? This image invites us to reflect on the ways nations curate their image for an international audience, carefully selecting which stories to tell and which aspects of their identity to highlight. It’s a reminder that even seemingly neutral displays of objects can be deeply embedded in politics and power.