Sculpturen in het Congolese deel van de wereldtentoonstelling te Antwerpen 1894

Th. Lantin's photograph captures a scene from the Congolese section of the Antwerp World Exposition. This event unfolded during a time when European powers were intensely focused on the colonial project in Africa. Here, we see a group of African men who are displayed as part of a human zoo, an exhibit which was intended to showcase the cultural and racial stereotypes of the time, furthering the colonial narrative of racial hierarchy. The men, presumably brought from the Congo, were both subjects and objects, their identities suppressed within the spectacle of colonial power. What we witness in this image is the objectification and commodification of human beings. The presence of a cannon is deeply unsettling, it is a stark reminder of the military and technological dominance wielded by colonial powers. The exhibition becomes a stage where power dynamics play out, reinforcing the narrative of the colonizer and the colonized. The men's expressions are difficult to discern, leaving us to ponder their thoughts and feelings amidst this dehumanizing spectacle. Lantin’s photograph is a poignant reminder of the intersection of race, power, and representation in the colonial era, one that continues to resonate today.