Idealised images of an idyllically beautiful East Indies
Wind-rushed palms on the beach, workers happy and relaxed in the paddy fields, a contented population under a scorching tropical sun. At Ohannes Kurkdjian’s famous studio they left nothing to chance; in many cases the photographed scenes were entirely staged. Over a hundred photos offer an opportunity to take a critical look at image of colonial life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and how this has been interpreted over the years.
The Tropenmuseum invites you to join our conversation about objects. Our first conversation is about the images from Kurkdjian & Co Photo Studio. What ideas do these images conjure up for you, which memories and emotions do they evoke? What do you think about the exhibition’s theme? Do you have any information about the photographer or his studio? Please join us in a conversation about our objects.
