Museum Rietberg exhibition reinterprets colonial photography through contemporary art

The Museum Rietberg in Zurich is presenting an exhibition that examines how contemporary artists transform colonial-era photographs, which historically served as instruments of power. Shortly after François Arago introduced photography to the French Academy of Sciences in Paris in August 1839, the first daguerreotypists arrived on the African continent. This new imaging technology was closely linked to tourism and research expeditions. The show explores the violent imagery of that period and the ways in which today's artists create new meanings from these historical documents. The exhibition highlights the complex legacy of photographic practices during colonialism.