Zetterij 1921

T. Kaneo's photograph shows the interior of a print shop, a ‘zetterij’ in Dutch, filled with rows of workers setting type. The image gives us a glimpse into the world of colonial labor, likely taken in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. The workers, dressed uniformly, are engaged in the meticulous work of arranging type for printing. What strikes me is the atmosphere of regimentation, of labor organized along industrial lines. What power structures are at play? Is this an indigenous printing house, or one imposed by the colonial regime? What is being printed? These questions are raised by the image, but not fully answered. To understand better, we would need to delve into historical archives, colonial records, and perhaps even the printed materials produced in this zetterij. Art serves as a starting point, a window into a complex web of social, economic, and political forces.