Bousbir Bordello, Casablanca, Morocco c. 1938

Denise Bellon captured this image of the Bousbir Bordello in Casablanca using her camera. It's a small, monochrome gelatin silver print, a record of a time and place. Looking at it, I’m thinking about what it must have been like to stand there, composing the scene, waiting for the right moment. The light is so interesting here. It kind of pulls you in but also holds you back with these looming walls. What was Bellon trying to reveal? What story was she trying to tell? I wonder if she felt conflicted, wanting to document this place but also being aware of the power dynamics at play. The photo, with its arches and blurred figures, reminds me of a stage set. It makes me think about how we frame and view other people. It reminds me of all the things we can’t, and maybe shouldn’t, see. Artists leave traces, create pathways, and pose questions. We see them, and then respond. That’s how culture builds.