The Decolonising Camera: Street Photography and the Bandung Myth
The visual archive of Bandung through its depictions of collaboration and conviviality between Nehru, Nasser, Sukarno, and other figures contributed to an enduring image of Third World solidarity. By the same stroke, it also generated a 'great man' version of the meeting and Third Worldism more generally with its problematic elitism and gender exclusivity.4 Though a number of delegates like Nehru and Nasser participated in later conferences of even greater size and representation, given the continuing expansion of the postcolonial world, Bandung initiated this visual symbolism of postcolonial masculine camaraderie. If the importance of Bandung ultimately rested in its establishment of a permanent idea - one elusively conjured and represented by the Bandung Spirit -the photographs of the conference facilitated this ethos of continued anticolonialism after independence. That photographs with their empiricist attributes of capturing a 'first draft of history, to use an expression of Siegfried Kracauer, would contribute to political mythology may appear paradoxical at first glance.5 Yet, as demonstrated by a number of critics touched upon in this article, modern photography, especially in colonial contexts, has frequently retained this capacity for mythmaking.
Pleasure to read you're travelogue . The express train will make Bandung within 45 minutes reach of Jakarta i believe. India has its own Vande Bharat trains. It is good to see how fast our neighbours are growing. After all Aceh is just next door to our Andamans. You are right Bandung strikes a chord with us Indians and we are transported to the early 1950s, but the express train beckons us into the 2020s and beyond.
Dear Pallavi,
the usual contrarian:
Kronos
On-line version ISSN 2309-9585
Print version ISSN 0259-0190
Kronos vol.46 n.1 Cape Town Nov. 2020
http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2309-9585/2020/v46a9
PART 2 REWORKINGS
The Decolonising Camera: Street Photography and the Bandung Myth
The visual archive of Bandung through its depictions of collaboration and conviviality between Nehru, Nasser, Sukarno, and other figures contributed to an enduring image of Third World solidarity. By the same stroke, it also generated a 'great man' version of the meeting and Third Worldism more generally with its problematic elitism and gender exclusivity.4 Though a number of delegates like Nehru and Nasser participated in later conferences of even greater size and representation, given the continuing expansion of the postcolonial world, Bandung initiated this visual symbolism of postcolonial masculine camaraderie. If the importance of Bandung ultimately rested in its establishment of a permanent idea - one elusively conjured and represented by the Bandung Spirit -the photographs of the conference facilitated this ethos of continued anticolonialism after independence. That photographs with their empiricist attributes of capturing a 'first draft of history, to use an expression of Siegfried Kracauer, would contribute to political mythology may appear paradoxical at first glance.5 Yet, as demonstrated by a number of critics touched upon in this article, modern photography, especially in colonial contexts, has frequently retained this capacity for mythmaking.
Cheers
aldo
So interesting. Thanks.
Pleasure to read you're travelogue . The express train will make Bandung within 45 minutes reach of Jakarta i believe. India has its own Vande Bharat trains. It is good to see how fast our neighbours are growing. After all Aceh is just next door to our Andamans. You are right Bandung strikes a chord with us Indians and we are transported to the early 1950s, but the express train beckons us into the 2020s and beyond.