Crossings in Rijksmuseum - photography from the Indian subcontinent

The Rijksmuseum's photography collection contains over 1,200 nineteenth-century photographs from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Burma, among others. Many of these originated in colonial contexts, often made for European and American buyers. Crossings brings those images into the present and explicitly juxtaposes them with contemporary work by Vasantha Yogananthan, known for its series A Myth of Two Souls.

The intent is twofold. On the one hand, historical photography that pretended an "objective" worldview but in reality confirmed the perspective of patrons. On the other, Yogananthan, which travels through India, Nepal and Sri Lanka in the 21st century, adding new layers of meaning through color, staging and mythology. The result is not nostalgia, but a friction-rich reading experience: how do we look, who depicts whom, and who sets the context?

The Rijksmuseum emphatically positions Crossings as a conversation. Texts and room layout refer to the tension between document and imagination; themes of identity, power and appropriation run through the selection. It is precisely this assembly - past alongside present - that makes the exhibition both accessible and topical. For those looking for more depth: publications and online context to the exhibition can be found through the museum channels.

"Crossings teaches to look again: not just at images, but at who is speaking through the camera."

Practical: Crossings is part of the regular museum visit and runs until October 12. The museum recommends that you bring your start time bookable, especially on weekends. Combine the expo with a walk through the garden - which is now featuring Isamu Noguchi - or plan a second tour of the permanent collection.