Tempel van Candi Singhasari, Malang op Oost-Java c. 1880

Curator: This photogravure, dating back to around 1880, captures the Temple of Candi Singhasari in Malang, East Java, as documented by Herman Salzwedel. It's currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: It has a powerful visual presence, this image; somber and very still. The sepia tones lend a feeling of being utterly remote in space and time. Curator: Yes, and that feeling is intensified when we consider the colonial context. Salzwedel, as a European photographer, was participating in a larger project of documenting and classifying non-Western cultures. It prompts questions about representation, labor, and power, doesn't it? Who had access to photographic technology and what were their goals? Editor: Absolutely, the structure itself, framed within this very organized matrix of horizontal and vertical lines, evokes stability and purpose despite its ruined state. I am thinking of how light and shadow interplay across its surface creating depth and complexity. Notice the texture of the stone and how the architectural volumes nest neatly within nature’s framing of verdant branches. Curator: Look closer at how the photogravure printing process itself impacts our reading. The tonal range achievable with photogravure allows for very subtle gradients, but it's a labor-intensive technique reliant on specific material resources. Editor: Agreed, the level of detail is quite fine, despite being an early application of this technology. The soft transitions achieved underscore how even stone eventually yields. Curator: It asks questions about the social relations of art, and that act of capturing ancient structures also has political implications. Colonial archives like this provided a form of visual governance. Editor: I appreciate seeing your interpretation around its complex matrix of sociopolitical implications and how photography plays a crucial role as a document. Curator: And, I’ve enjoyed exploring its intrinsic architectural components and compositional qualities that it embodies as an image.