Piz Palü, Bellavista (in part), Pix Morteratsch, The Engadine 1924

Editor: This black and white photograph, "Piz Palü, Bellavista", pictures a majestic mountain range. I'm curious about the texture and the tonal range in it. How would you interpret this work, particularly focusing on its materiality and social context? Curator: This image interests me through its representation of labor and consumption. Consider the photographer's process: the equipment, the darkroom, the physical act of capturing this landscape. What were the social conditions that made this photographic expedition possible? Editor: That’s a good point. The act of photographing itself is a type of labor. Curator: Exactly. And who was the audience for this image? Was it intended as a scientific record, a piece of propaganda, or a tourist souvenir? The answers shape our understanding. Editor: I hadn't considered the production and consumption aspect of landscape photography. Curator: Thinking about materiality helps uncover the complex relationship between humans and the natural world.