Borca de Brenta, Dolomites c. 1885

Editor: Vittorio Sella's "Borca de Brenta, Dolomites" presents a stark, mountainous landscape. The monochrome tones really emphasize the raw, geological forms. What does this image tell you about the relationship between humans and the natural world? Curator: I see the photograph less as a romantic landscape and more as a document of labor and materiality. Consider the physical exertion required to reach this vantage point, to transport the equipment, to process the image. What does this image consume? Editor: It's a good point. It consumes resources and labor. So, do you see the value in landscape photography more as a historical record of that process? Curator: Precisely. Sella’s work becomes an artifact, reflecting the interaction between photographic technology, human effort, and the exploitation of natural resources. Editor: I never thought of it that way, seeing it as documenting the labor of its creation. Thanks! Curator: Absolutely. It invites us to consider how we consume and represent the world around us.