A Moth in the RoomA Moth in the Room

Research on ebony furniture has revealed the designed images as symbols within colonial contexts. This representation, emblematic of colonialism, persisted as a stereotype encapsulating diverse Asian cultures into a singular image. Even after the colonial era ended, this imagery persisted as an emblem of colonial legacy.

Museums are important for grappling with European colonial legacies, serving as custodians of colonial history and becoming portals into contextualising colonial narratives. However, the availability of information within these spaces is highly refined and controlled. With the decolonisation movement in the Netherlands, many colonial artifacts were relocated to storage depots, vanishing from public view. These storage facilities signify a shift towards privitisation in the ownership and dissemination of colonial imagery.

This project seeks to liberate colonial symbols by breaking the chain of image ownership and extracting images from the Rijksmuseum depot. Using a mobile phone and camera, this approach starts with a rudimentary scan, necessitating a coarse-grained exploration.

Sungryul Jun is a Korean designer currently based in Rotterdam. He holds undergraduate degrees in both Sculpture and Economics from Hongik University, KR. With experience in furniture making and graphic design, his current design practice is grounded within the context of postcolonial and decolonial studies. Sungryul's graduation work explores the underground Depot of the Rijksmuseum through archived ebony furniture.

Website Sungryul Jun