Paintings such as the ones hanging in the Musee Du Quai Branly Jaques Chirac emphasize the notion that individuals from non-Western civilizations and former colonies of France have value as property or a means to property. The Quai Branly focuses on works from Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Americas. The Quai Branly writes that their museum encourages “original dialog between the cultures of the four continents.” However, in these pieces, different regions and even continents are blended together, seemingly creating a view of one monolith of “other” in contrast to Europe.
Additionally, the paintings focus on the agricultural products of different regions. Note that the artist has gone so far as to label each product with gold writing, while there is no information about the people or the regions. This reference to products that were exported to Europe seems to clearly reference colonialism, especially since the people of these regions are portrayed as laboring to create products. Analyzing paintings such as these could be valuable in a discussion around colonialism and the global trade networks and exploitation it created. However, this conversation was not present where the paintings were displayed. There was no context or commentary with the paintings, as they were not in an exhibit, but in the entrance by the bathrooms. Without context or critical discussion, the paintings reinforced the historical narrative of non-Western civilizations being of value only for the resources they can provide to Western civilizations.
A contrast to the paintings above, this street art (on Rue Drevet in the 18th arrondissement) points to colonialism as causing the exploitation of resources such as gold. The dripping red on the can also implies the violence inherent in colonialism. Although also a piece of art without a label or context, this piece directly addresses the context of resources in the non-Western world and how they have been used historically, unlike the paintings in the Quai Branly.
