University IBERO: Past Present

The history of the postcard is closely linked to the history of European colonial expansion. Although the themes found in postcards can very greatly, it has become clear that images depicting the colonies, and recently annexed territories, greatly contributed to the idea of empire, and as such, were widely circulated. The profusion of colonial imagery found in postcards allows us to better understand how these images shaped and defined the ways that colonized peoples were seen around the world. Because of this, the postcard would become foundational in representing, in looking, and in conceiving the “Other” within the global north.

The intention of this exhibition is to demonstrate how the colonial perspective projected and shaped the idea of inferiority that was attributed to the “other.”

The golden age of postcards has passed, their production declined, but the persistence of these images within the racial imaginary has remained largely unchanged. The exhibition seeks to generate a greater awareness of the postcard, and to encourage reflection and discussion on colonial history, as well as on the racism that underlies it, and still informs our relationships with the peoples and cultures that were once so marginalized.