Fabrieksgebouw 1931 - 1937

This photograph shows a ‘Fabrieksgebouw’, or factory building. The location is thought to be in Sukabumi, Indonesia, formerly part of the Dutch East Indies. We don’t know the name of the photographer. This image presents a stark contrast between industrial progress and the natural world. The building's modern, Western-style architecture stands in contrast to the lush, tropical landscape behind it. The orderly rows of plants in front suggest the imposition of European agricultural methods on the Indonesian land. What does this photograph tell us about colonial power structures? The factory is an institution of colonial rule, designed to exploit natural resources and local labor. Further research into the Dutch East Indies’ economic history, and the rise of the plantation system, would shed light on the image. The photograph is thus a window into the complex relationship between colonizer and colonized. It illustrates the social conditions that shaped the production of goods, as well as the visual culture of the time.