Mond der Nickerierivier, met overblijfsel van den steiger van het verzwolgen Nickerie 1891

Editor: So, this is "Mond der Nickerierivier, met overblijfsel van den steiger van het verzwolgen Nickerie," a gelatin-silver print by Gomez Burke from 1891. It has a rather melancholy feel to it. What's your take on this piece? Curator: It's more than just melancholy. This photograph speaks volumes about the impact of colonialism and environmental change. Note the "verzwolgen," the swallowed, submerged Nickerie. What power structures were in place that might lead to this depiction? Editor: Well, I see that it's a landscape photograph, and even hints at street photography by referencing the lost "street," so is the artist taking an environmentalist stance? Curator: Perhaps. It is important to recognize that photography was gaining traction during that time and its use was often connected to broader agendas. What role do you think photographic imagery had in shaping perceptions of colonized lands in the late 19th century? Who typically consumed these images? Editor: I guess these photos served a function of both showing and exoticizing foreign places for Western audiences. That body of water could be any place, right? But knowing the name suggests it’s a specific location with a complicated history. Curator: Precisely. So, consider Burke's photograph. What is he communicating by documenting this “swallowed” pier? Whose stories are being told—or omitted—in this landscape? Editor: I see it now; the piece subtly challenges those standard narratives of progress by highlighting loss and maybe even displacement due to colonialism. I hadn't thought about it that way initially. Curator: Indeed. By acknowledging the photograph's context, we can deepen our understanding and question the conventional portrayal of the landscape itself. Editor: Thanks for expanding my perspective on this! Now I look at the artwork, and all I see is more stories about this landscape to uncover.