Voetbalwedstrijd tussen de manschappen en de officieren; spelers brengen voor of na de wedstrijd de Hitlergroet 1941 - 1945

Editor: Here we have an intriguing gelatin-silver print, dating from 1941-1945, titled "Voetbalwedstrijd tussen de manschappen en de officieren; spelers brengen voor of na de wedstrijd de Hitlergroet." It's unsettling – the everyday activity of a soccer match juxtaposed with the stark reality of the Hitler salute. What jumps out at you when you see this image? Curator: I’m drawn to the materiality of the photograph itself. Consider the socio-political context surrounding its production and consumption. A gelatin-silver print from this era was not just an image; it was a carefully manufactured artifact. This image was mass produced to serve a political aim, where its circulation influenced public sentiment toward labour, duty and allegiance. Editor: That’s a very interesting perspective. I was primarily thinking about the symbolism of the image, whereas you are focusing on its physicality and its circulation. So, you are considering the production, right? Curator: Precisely! We have to consider who made this image, under what conditions, and for what purpose. The ‘anonymous’ tag itself tells us much about its intention to manufacture propaganda, to elicit patriotism within a collective. Editor: That makes me reconsider my initial reaction. Thinking about it as a product created within a system of labor really changes how I view the soccer game depicted. It’s not just an innocent game anymore, it’s part of a propaganda machine. Curator: Exactly. It becomes a tool for reinforcing the prevailing social and political order. The medium isn’t simply the message; it’s also evidence of the machine creating that message. Editor: I now see this seemingly simple image as evidence of mass construction in political thinking. Thanks for shifting my focus towards materiality! Curator: The lens through which we view art deeply informs our interpretation. Seeing how process shapes the meaning adds critical new perspectives.