The Course of Empire

The Course of Empire

Project in development

The Course of  Empire reimagines a series of trade cards produced in the 19th century to advertise concentrated meat products developed by chemist Justus von Liebig (1803-1873). Using colorful, utopic, idealized scenes of exploration, they also be seen from the perspective of orientalism, and colonial empire-building.

The Installation project takes its name from Thomas Cole’s series of paintings where he reflect on attitudes of the times, when many saw the agrarian and pastoral life as the ideal stage of human civilization, but reflecting the fear that empire would lead to gluttony and social decay.