A Kind of Paradise, currently showcased at Museum Rietberg in Zurich, features the work of twenty innovative artists who reinterpret colonial-era photography. Rather than viewing these images as definitive historical records, they engage with them as materials ripe for re-examination and transformation.
The exhibition is divided into four distinct sections: Shapeshifters, Confrontation, Care, and In the Photo Fantastic. Each section presents a unique approach to addressing images that have historically shaped, obscured, or erased narratives. The artists embrace the complexities of the colonial archive, employing techniques such as cutting, annotating, and reimagining photographs that once sought to define entire cultures.
In the Shapeshifters segment, the lack of photographic records from many communities outside Europe becomes a catalyst for creativity. Artists like Rosana Paulino, Cédric Kouamé, and Dinh Q. Lê respond to this absence by constructing their own counter-archives. Their tactile and layered works emphasize that memory is a dynamic process, influenced by the perspectives of those who engage with it.
The Confrontation section critiques the mass-produced images found in postcards, magazines, and ethnographic albums, which have historically reinforced racial hierarchies. Artists such as Omar Victor Diop, Yuki Kihara, Frida Orupabo, and Dimakatso Mathopa meticulously deconstruct these visual stereotypes, reclaiming the dignity and agency of the individuals portrayed.
In Care, artists like Sasha Huber, Tuli Mekondjo, and Zenáeca Singh confront historical photographs marked by exploitation. Their works serve as protective gestures, reframing and mending the narratives of those once objectified by the camera, acknowledging the emotional and political ramifications that persist today.
The final section, In the Photo Fantastic, employs speculation as a creative tool. Inspired by Saidiya Hartman's concept of critical fabulation, artists such as Tshepiso Moropa, Aline Motta, and Raphaël Barontini imagine scenes and narratives that fill the gaps left by traditional archives.
Throughout the exhibition, photographs from Museum Rietberg's collection, captured in Africa and Asia between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, provide context. A newly produced film documents the interactions of artists, researchers, and curators with these images, highlighting the unresolved stories and the potential that lies within the archive.
This exhibition not only challenges our understanding of colonial history but also inspires a reimagined future where art and memory intertwine to foster deeper connections and understanding.