Images of nature: mental illusions
The idyllic artificial worlds of the “Animals of Africa” dioramas are old, but at the same time contemporary, as they embody an illusion which is deeply ingrained in western minds and shaped by the colonial era: “Africa” is an uninhabited wilderness to be “discovered”. This has always been a false narrative — it ignores the human beings and their ancestors who have settled the African continent and shaped its history for millions of years.
Today, nature in African countries is threatened by the growing exploitation of land and mineral resources. Habitat destruction and biodiversity loss are increasing, as is the case all over the world.
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The artist Heinrich Würgler also sought to depict the “vast expanses of Africa” and the “African light” with his skilfully sketched background paintings. He created atmospheric pictures, which however also reflect the then prevalent colonial narrative of an “unspoilt, unpopulated Africa”.
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Pigment mit Kasein auf Sperrholz
Diorama von 1935, entfernt 1996
Maler: Heinrich Würgler