“The German participants have never seen South Africa before. And they expected to see only shacks, broken roads and poverty. But we, the children of Delft, showed them that we are much more than that.”
These words from Rayvon du Plessis, a participant in the project in South Africa, illustrate the transformative power of the German-South African photo project “I am making a picture. South Africa is not Elephants and Giraffes and Germany is not Mercedes Benz”. More than a creative exchange, the project is an act of reflection and deconstruction of colonial images.
Breaking with Eurocentric perspectives
Western media often form a one-sided image of Africa, reduced to poverty, heat and exotic animals. These images are the result of decades of Eurocentric narratives that portray Africa as the “other” – a continent full of deficits that need the West as a saviour.
Social inequality and the resilience of the townships
The extreme income inequality in South Africa hits townships like Delft hard. Despite limited access to education, healthcare and jobs, these communities show remarkable resilience. Self-organized neighbourhoods find creative solutions to everyday problems.
In contrast, the young people from Malchin in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern grow up in much more sheltered circumstances. Violence, drugs and criminal gangs do not play a central role in their everyday lives. They live in a rural environment that has its own challenges, such as economic stagnation and emigration, but is characterized by a high degree of social security and stability.
A bridge between two worlds
The project enables young people from both countries to reflect on the different realities of their lives. They question power structures and stereotypes and create new, differentiated narratives. In the process, common values such as resilience and the desire for justice emerge.
In the project, the young people learn to use photography as a means of self-empowerment and social change. Their images break with colonial representations and open up new perspectives.
“We are all one,” said Chrizelda Layman, principal of Rosendaal Secondary School in Delft, on the day of the opening of the exhibition.
We are all one – cosmopolitanism – open-mindedness is of paramount importance to our society. In an increasingly globalized world, it is important to build bridges and promote dialogue between different people and cultures. Our differences enrich our lives and open up new perspectives. By reaching out to each other, we can break down prejudices and clear up misunderstandings.
UBUNTU – a word from the South African Xhosa language that is often loosely translated as
“I am because you are” . A word that expresses the interconnectedness of all people and the associated responsibility of each individual for an equal, inclusive and respectful coexistence. UBUNTU made famous by Nelson Mandela.
Let’s celebrate diversity and create a home where everyone is heard, respected and accepted regardless of origin, gender or faith. Together we can create an open-minded society that offers opportunities for all and promotes peace in the world.
‘Ich mach‘ mir ein Bild. I am making a picture’ shows how photography can break down stereotypes and promote intercultural understanding. It calls for a critical approach to images and their history – a step towards greater awareness and social change.
The young people each chose one of the proposed topics:
- Water
- A day in the life
- My family tree
- Street photography
Symbols of power. Photographs and their colonial significance. The colonial narrative of Duke Adolf Friedrich zu Mecklenburg’s 1905 Africa expedition.
Historically, photography played a central role in colonial power structures. Colonial photographs served to cement certain ideas of power, superiority and “otherness”. They often portrayed indigenous peoples as exotic, primitive or inferior and thus contributed to the legitimization of colonial rule. These images were not only disseminated in colonial administrations and academic publications, but also shaped popular perceptions in the home countries of the colonial powers.
Post-colonial research has shown how deeply these images are embedded in our social perceptions. They act as silent but powerful instruments that perpetuate certain narratives and make other realities invisible. But photographs are by no means one-dimensional artifacts. They offer space for reinterpretation and the opportunity to critically question the power relations they represent.
A critical examination of historical photographs from colonial contexts is therefore particularly important.
This brochure with historical photographs from the museum “Müritzeum” in Waren, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern offers a platform to make the colonial traces in Mecklenburg visible. Jan Diebold has analyzed these testimonies of the past in detail and placed them in their historical context. The aim of this work is to show the colonial traces in our region and to promote a better understanding of the complex interrelationships of this period.
Teaching materials
The materials compiled in this brochure are intended not only to stimulate reflection, but also to serve as teaching material. They offer teachers the opportunity to integrate this knowledge into current educational and social discussions. We hope that this brochure will make an important contribution to the reappraisal of and critical dialog about colonial history and encourage a reflective approach to our past.
The brochure will be translated into English and the pdf will be downloadable here.
