Reproductie van een landkaart van Zuidoost-Azië door de gebroeders van Langren before 1895

Curator: So, here we have a reproduction of a map of Southeast Asia, crafted before 1895 by the Van Langren brothers. It is realized with paper, print, and engraving. What stands out to you initially? Editor: It’s quite detailed for such an early map, but I can’t help but think about what went into producing this. It's a very utilitarian piece, isn't it? How would a materialist interpret such a map? Curator: Indeed. Let's consider the labor involved: the engravers meticulously etching details, the paper makers, the printing process itself. What resources were extracted and transformed to create this object? Editor: Well, forests for the paper, obviously. The inks...were they plant-based, mineral-based? And the sheer amount of time invested by skilled laborers. It gives a tangible weight to the concept of colonial mapping, not just as an intellectual exercise, but a physical one. Curator: Precisely! And who were the intended consumers? This wasn't mass-produced, it would have been commissioned and consulted by traders, colonial administrators, and those seeking to control trade routes. Think of it less as art, and more as a tool, meticulously crafted. Can we divorce it from its function? Editor: So, the map itself, regardless of aesthetic quality, becomes a record of material consumption, colonial ambition and labour, with all those intertwined. Did they consider that, I wonder? Curator: That is exactly the critical examination this perspective hopes to provoke! This simple map suddenly becomes quite dense, don't you agree? Editor: I do. Thanks. It is more interesting seeing a convergence between colonial intent and all of this labour it represents. Curator: And by understanding the materials and processes, we understand the power structures embedded within the image itself.