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Sometimes the Past Is Hard to Look at
The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis was supposed to mark America's progress. It introduced visitors to the automobile, outdoor electric lighting, and x-rays. But it also featured "Living Exhibits" with Indigenous people on display, like animals in a zoo. The largest was the Filipino Village, which included more than 1,000 people over a period of seven months. This disturbing exhibit marked the recent colonization of the Philippines by the United States.
Stephanie Syjuco, an American artist of Filipina heritage, reflects on this history in Block Out the Sun. She rephotographed images of the 1904 exposition, obscuring them with her hands as if to physically obstruct the racism they document. The artwork reminds us that stories about the future are never neutral. |