Archive Matter - A Camera in the Laboratory of the Modern

Archive Matter explores the historical and political impact of the United Fruit Company's photographic records, which reveal the violence embedded in the plantations' daily operations and corporate efforts to "modernize" the Caribbean.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 20 June 2023
Publisher: Diaphanes AG

The United Fruit Company's photo archive and its documentation of corporate expansion into the Caribbean is a fascinating journey. The establishment of the United Fruit Company as a global political agent with its banana plantations faced considerable resistance. However, the company's photographic records have now become the focal point of Archive Matter, a project that examines the historical and political impact of photography through the argument that this overlooked but important archive made capitalist expansion into the Caribbean possible.

Author Liliana Gómez delves into the images within their "optical unconscious" and through the archives' silences and omissions. Gómez argues that these silences imply an attempt to conceal the violence embedded within the realities of the plantations' daily operations and the corporate efforts to "modernize" the Caribbean.

The photo archive provides a unique perspective on the United Fruit Company's expansion into the Caribbean. It shows the company's efforts to establish control over the region's resources, including land, labor, and bananas. The images also depict the lives of the workers on the plantations, who were often subjected to harsh conditions and exploitation.

Gómez's analysis of the images highlights the complexities of the company's expansion into the Caribbean. She argues that the company's efforts to modernize the region were often driven by economic interests rather than by a genuine concern for the well-being of the local communities. The photographs also reveal the company's attempts to suppress resistance from workers and local communities, including the use of violence and intimidation.

Archive Matter is a powerful project that sheds light on the historical and political impact of photography. It highlights the ways in which images can shape our understanding of the past and the ways in which they can conceal the realities of oppressive systems. The project also emphasizes the importance of preserving and accessing these archives, so that we can continue to learn from the past and work towards a more just and equitable future.

Dimension: 8 x 5 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783035803969