Deep Dive: BIPOC photographers in the spotlight in the photo collection

The photo collection of the Weltmuseum Wien contains only two photos of a black artist from a country on the African continent: the photograph by Nigerian photographer Jonathan Adagogo Green (1873–1905) shows the King of Benin, who was captured during the British punitive expedition of 1897. While thousands upon thousands of photographs in the collection depict every corner of the African continent, almost all of them, with the exception of Green’s, were taken and/or collected by photographers who identified as white. The singular status of these images is thus indicative of the power asymmetries and representational imbalances that lie at the heart of the collection and are also palpable in its ecosystem.

Hanin Hannouch, curator for analog and digital media (photography, film, and sound collections), cordially invites the public to a special tour. This tour not only highlights Green’s photograph, but also uses his presence as a lens to engage with photographers from the so-called “global South” in the collection, such as Lala Deen Dayal (1844–1905), Juliana Dilenius (1884–1949), Eduardo Unda (1829–1879), Govindram and Oodeyram (photographers in Jaipur, Rajasthan, active from the 1890s to the 1960s), etc. Visitors will view the historical photographs, learn more about the stories behind the images, their creators, and their contexts, and share their impressions with the curator at their leisure. 

This special tour takes the selective visibility of the Weltmuseum Wien’s photo collection as an opportunity to critically reflect on how mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion structure the institution’s extensive holdings. It is a long-overdue necessity and obligation to honor the lives and legacies of photographers from the “global South” and to shed light on the influence they have had and continue to have on the medium and its history – an influence that is often ignored and erased by institutions in Europe.

Presentation in German language
Tickets:
Participation fee: € 9
plus museum admission
Meeting Point: Forum