Logies voor de vrije werklieden. Op den achtergrond het woningplateau voor Europeanen 1921 - 1922

This photograph, of unknown origin, shows lodgings for workers and a residential area for Europeans. Imagine the photographer positioning themselves to capture this scene, maybe they were balancing on a slope? I wonder what the photographer was thinking, framing the disparity between the workers' lodgings and the European residences. The light, almost bleached, gives the whole scene a flattened, stark feel, and a sense of distance, both physical and emotional. The sharp focus brings out the textures of the buildings, yet it also creates an unsettling sense of clarity. It's a snapshot of a particular time and place, and the division that existed there. It reminds me that all art, in its own way, engages with social issues, reflecting the concerns and anxieties of the artist and their time. It’s an ongoing conversation about who we are, where we've been, and where we might be going.