Jean-Pierre Bemba, presidential candidate, enters a stadium in central Kinshasa flanked by his bodyguards, July 2006 2006

Editor: This photograph by Guy Tillim, "Jean-Pierre Bemba, presidential candidate, enters a stadium in central Kinshasa flanked by his bodyguards, July 2006," captures a moment of political fervor. The sheer number of people is striking. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a careful orchestration of power, not just in the subject, but in the photograph itself. Consider the labour involved in amassing this crowd, the materiality of their clothes, the infrastructure of the stadium. How is this spectacle produced and consumed? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't thought about the stadium as part of the message. Curator: Exactly. The scale of the production speaks volumes about political machinery. Considering the resources involved, what does that say about Bemba's campaign and the socio-economic realities of Kinshasa? Editor: I’m learning that a photo is not just what it shows, but what it takes to make it happen. Curator: Precisely, and that includes the photographer's choices and the means of distribution. Every detail underscores the complex interplay of power and representation.