Contemporary Artists Reclaim Colonial Photography in Museum Rietberg Exhibition

The Museum Rietberg in Zürich, Switzerland, has just opened its doors to a new exhibition that brings a contemporary lens to colonial-era photography.

Titled A Kind of Paradise, the showcase unites 20 artists from the diaspora, each known for their thought-provoking works surrounding race, class and historical narratives. Using their practices to explore identity, the featured pieces exhibit how divisive photographs can be reclaimed to spotlight the untold stories behind the art.

The expansive exhibition is split into four main sections: Shapeshifters; Confrontation; Care; and In the Photo Fantastic. The first category, Shapeshifters, takes viewers through a series of lost photographs that includes Brazilian crafter Rosana Paulino fusing personal images onto materials while other multimedia artists, such as Cédric Kouamé, introducing snapshots onto more sculptural displays.

The Confrontation section explores the after-effects of colonization where people brought with them new traditions to communities across the globe. Works from artists, archivists, and curators, such as Senegalese photographer Omar Victor Diop, depict these clashes of cultures through collage or snippets of archival magazines.

The final two areas, Care and In the Photo Fantastic, confidently rewrite history by transforming oppressive narratives into inspirational stories of resilience. As seen in Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter’s featured artwork, subjects are layered with shields of armor, elsewhere Raphaël Barontini makes Congolese women the heroines of his art.

Hoping to raise awareness and understanding around its poignant themes, Museum Rietberg will also be holding several events over the course of the exhibition’s showcase including panel talks with the artists as well as interactive tours that provide further context.

To find out more about the schedule and buy tickets to A Kind of Paradise, head to Museum Rietberg’s website now.