FOMU EN

Camera Exotica aims to shed light on the way that exotic subjet-matter and motifs in West European photography between 1850 and 1960 were utilized and consumed. The thread running throught this narrative is that of ambiguity. The visual treatments of the 'exotic' therefore are a reflection rather of the fascinations, the desires and anxieties that prevailed in industrialized societies, than an accurate picture of foreign cultures and civilizations. This percecption of what the 'other' is offers us plenty of food for thought and remains a burning issue to this day.

Photo: Casimir Ostoja Zagourski, Bateke chief, approx 1930, P/1993/462/200, Collection FOMU, P/2012/379