Gezicht op een standbeeld van Christoffel Columbus in het Lake Park in Chicago 1893

Editor: This photograph, taken in 1893, shows a statue of Christopher Columbus in Lake Park, Chicago. It has a stark and somewhat unsettling feel to it, don't you think? What do you see in this piece, especially considering when it was made? Curator: Absolutely. I look at this and think about the materials used to create this monument – likely bronze or marble – and the labor involved in its construction. But more importantly, the social context surrounding this monument’s erection is really fascinating. Think about the late 19th century; industrialization was booming. The monument acts as a physical assertion of power structures already at play and that desire to establish dominance over place through making visible the values considered crucial for its society. Editor: So, it's not just about Columbus himself, but also about what the statue meant to Chicago at that specific time? Curator: Exactly. The materials and labor involved become tools in asserting a particular narrative. Photography itself, as a medium, further disseminates that narrative. It’s worth questioning whose story gets told and how materiality, photographic process included, plays into its broader circulation, isn’t it? What materials would one use now? Editor: That’s a good question... different materials send completely different messages. I didn't realize there were so many layers to unpack! Curator: That's the beauty of looking closely at materials and contexts. They tell us so much about power, labor, and cultural values.