At the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Brussels, four monumental wall maps from 1910 illustrate Belgium's colonial ambitions. These maps detail resource exchange rates and chillingly, the market value of enslaved individuals. Originally designed to attract investment in colonial expansion, they now serve as a stark reminder of historical violence embedded in land measurement.
The Power of Cartography
Maps often appear objective, yet they reflect specific choices that shape our understanding of the world. As tools of classification, they can misrepresent history, framing land as ordered and knowable. Recent exhibitions in New York feature artists like Claudio Perna, Sandy Rodriguez, and Firelei Báez, who challenge these traditional narratives.
These artists utilize cartography to explore themes of movement, memory, and power. By reinterpreting maps, they transform them from instruments of colonialism into frameworks that question the status quo.
