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A different look at colonial photography
Dossier Indië delves into the history of Indonesia under colonialism
The earliest photographs depict an idealised image of a glorious Dutch East Indies. The exhibition shows how 19th century photographers shaped a mythical image of the colonies. But in the late 19th century and in the 20th century, the photographs gradually change in character to lay bare a more accurate picture of the relations in colonial society. The perspective shifts from the Dutch colonials to the colonized Indonesian people. Alongside these photographs, the exhibition also explores the themes of economic exploitation and the colonial war. As part of Dossier Indië the Rotterdam-based photographer Stacii Samidin photographed the series Merdeka!
