1 10 29 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/8e134fa904778f77d8fa34400b835b81.jpg 11f14d07229da51e9be2f37cd0c4ec33 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/4c3ad8c7ef7b03a4ab372c2298c7c259.jpg a1d6bf66e33b1be8c86bbc399acb7e7c https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/19ef190fdbea7bb03dc7aaf81b339103.jpg 75ac560aa7f558b6bbc33985fe3b6928 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/6117a8b5d84cc209545a5b2141f344c4.jpg 8546393cfcca8cb4e434619e8a5f2965 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/144142f9ec90b956f4c2c7f6977a55d5.jpg b9a5e3051b72e22fc5ba8c4f61c59da0 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/c1cba12d535d613ca2bafbfc21af64da.jpg 2155709ae9852f23954ce4c35da38de4 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/b94769f10602cb3cde30775bc885cbe6.jpg 494bca64b3e2541a92c72389d544a934 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/af08f8492547034b1ea179f2de2d2e0d.jpg 8e92781b9a71640cc3d375555b694e43 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/3788876bc8da58680002335026f09960.jpg 6ef9ca7cf0d44f0400a3bf7de95e1f13 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/f3f2b8b7a948910fa7171d03b8c2a510.jpg b48285416d3a06209757b4178d750ed5 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/f3c479e9238ea573263180fabea6e959.jpg 63ac4834e2fa059effa135795d1712f1 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/a98341948dc085056b236ad66cc95674.jpg 68f8162fc07702db720a61b6e7b13ea7 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/6e0ba3b6cc11b08119a944ad240ee3e1.jpg b33e9aa87e989cb7c19bfe2d1a1cfe79 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/516bd4015e3ffff9f30e36c77a133022.jpg 6fdd42c2df12e44f3a7f261fe81d3532 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/1892fab72705511cb2faf8297905a167.jpg 49bd3a2aa85e57de840e7ae561f70f58 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2. Neocolonial Politics in the Museum and Conflicting Identities in Equatorial Guinea Subject The topic of the resource Neocolonial Politics in Equatorial Guinea Description An account of the resource The second section of the exhibit, "Neocolonial Politics of the Museum," aims to contextualize and critically examine the materials, texts, and policies that emanate from institutional artistic and educational spaces in Equatorial Guinea during the regime of Teodoro Obiang in the post-independence period. This section departs from a decolonial critique that, despite the end of formal colonial rule by Spain, politics of international collaboration have become an expression of neocolonial forms of cultural and economic influence in Equatorial Guinea. Within the fields of arts and education, intellectual and artistic expression in Equatorial Guinea remain heavily influenced by Western canons. This continues to shape the ways in which art is taught, evaluated, and displayed in museums and galleries, in addition to the cultural narratives that sustain the historical ties to the colonial past. While Western aesthetic standards and curatorial practices often result in the marginalization of black artists, their work is frequently framed through a Eurocentric lens, which can strip it of its cultural and historical context. Similarly, educational materials reflect this ongoing neocolonial influence. Textbooks and curricula often present history from a predominantly Western perspective, emphasizing European achievements while downplaying or distorting the rich histories and contributions of African societies. This not only skews students' understanding of their own heritage but also reinforces a Eurocentric worldview. The political rhetoric and policies of the Obiang regime further complicate the post-independence cultural landscape. The regime's promotion of a homogenized national identity, such as through the myth of Bantu Unity, mirrors colonial strategies of governance that sought to control and assimilate diverse populations. By promoting a unified identity that glosses over cultural diversity, the regime reinforces a simplified and controlled narrative of national identity that serves its own political ends. Igor Cusack’s insights into the regime's manipulation of colonial legacies provide a crucial perspective for this exhibition section. Cusack notes how the regime has "promoted the importance of Hispanic culture in the formation of the ‘nation’s’ cultural identity, while at the same time, it has unashamedly used Spain’s desire to perpetuate its own culture in Africa as a ploy in appealing for development aid." This dual strategy underscores how deeply embedded Western cultural influences remain, shaping both national identity and international relations in ways that benefit the regime. In summary, "Neocolonial Politics of the Museum" aims to uncover and critique these layers of influence, demonstrating how institutional spaces and policies continue to reflect and perpetuate colonial ideologies. By bringing these issues into context, the exhibition encourages viewers to question the narratives presented within these spaces and consider the ongoing impact of neocolonialism in shaping cultural and political life in Equatorial Guinea. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Cusack, Igor. "Hispanic and Bantu Inheritance, Trauma, Dispersal and Return: Some Contributions to a Sense of National Identity in Equatorial Guinea." Nations and Nationalism, vol. 5, no. 2, 1999, pp. 207-236. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Price Lab for the Digital Humanities, University of Pennsylvania Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Digital Exhibit Language A language of the resource English, Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Equatorial Guinea Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Documento reservado. Informe técnico. PP/1988-89/XI N.' de serie: F M R / C C / A E B / 9 0 / 1 0 6 Informe preparado para el Gobierno de la República de Guinea Ecuatorial por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (Unesco) Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Written technical report Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Creación de un centro de investigación y desarrollo del arte Bantú y Negroafricano Subject The topic of the resource Neocolonial Politics in the Museum Description An account of the resource “The idea behind the project is evidently the promotion of authentic art that is being lost with the internationalization of culture and aesthetic and artistic habits. For this reason, the future Research and Development Center for Bantu and Black African Art will be made up of different areas dedicated to research, promotion, training, as well as the exhibition of works of art. With respect to these different functions of the planned center, the consultant foresees that the following services should be created: a library on Bantu and Black African art, a photo library that also includes documents on Western and Asian art, and a sound library on Bantu music. In the area of ​​training, the consultant recommends that the following workshops be created: ceramics, painting, fiber, screen printing, foundry, ivory and wood carving workshops; in addition to a didactic workshop, a living museum workshop and a printing press. Finally, the center will include a museum, a room for temporary exhibitions, as well as a conference room.” Agustín de la Casa Rivas, Spanish Consultant The document outlining the "Plans for the Creation of a ‘Research and Development Center for Bantu and Black African Art" is a technical report drafted by Spanish architect and consultant Agustín de la Casa Rivas as part of the Programs of Participation and Technical Cooperation promoted by the Office of Education, Science, and Culture of the United Nations in 1990. While the Center was never built, the document serves as an engaging example of how neocolonial politics operates on the international stage in the fields of art, science, and education. The document prepared by La Casa Rivas presents several issues that warrant a critical decolonial examination, particularly regarding how the museum space is conceptualized through dominant approaches to art and cultural preservation. This critique aims to unpack these problems and highlight the implications for the representation of Bantu and Black African art within this proposed center. One of the primary issues with the document is its adherence to a Western model of what a museum should be. The proposed center is structured around traditional Western divisions and functions, such as libraries, photo libraries, sound libraries, and various workshops. The creation of specific workshops for ceramics, painting, fiber, screen printing, foundry, ivory and wood carving, and the inclusion of a didactic workshop, a living museum workshop, and a printing press all point to a compartmentalized approach typical of Western art institutions as well. This format emulates international museum standards, which may not be entirely appropriate for the representation of Bantu and Black African art. This segmentation can strip the art of its cultural and historical context, reducing it to mere aesthetic objects rather than expressions of living traditions and practices. The imposition of these Western categories on a center dedicated to African art risks reinforcing a colonial mindset that prioritizes Western epistemologies and modes of organization over local ones, especially considering that no local artists or cultural agents were involved in the project design or its conceptualization. On the other hand, the center's focus on Bantu art, as promoted by the Obiang regime, places this particular identity in a privileged institutional status. This approach can be problematic as it may marginalize other cultural expressions and identities within Equatorial Guinea and the broader African context. The promotion of a homogenized Bantu identity as representative of Black Art echoes the regime's political agenda of creating a unified national identity, which often glosses over the rich cultural diversity of the region. By institutionalizing Bantu art in this manner, the center could risk becoming a tool for political propaganda rather than a space for genuine cultural and artistic expression. Finally, the consultant's recommendation to include documents on Western and Asian art in the photo library underscores the pervasive influence of international, particularly Western, perspectives. This inclusion suggests an underlying assumption that Bantu and Black African art needs to be contextualized within a broader, predominantly Western, art historical framework. Such an approach can undermine the autonomy and integrity of African art by constantly measuring it against foreign standards. In summary, the plans for the Research and Development Center for Bantu and Black African Art reflect a deep-seated reliance on Western models of museum spaces and art organization. This approach not only reproduces colonial mentalities but also risks perpetuating the marginalization of Guinean forms of knowledge and cultural expression. The institutional privileging of Bantu identity, aligned with the political agenda of the Obiang regime, further complicates the center's role as a space for authentic artistic representation. To honor and promote Black African art, it is essential to develop new models that break away from these Western paradigms and embrace the diverse and dynamic nature of African cultural expressions. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Agustín de la Casa Rivas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1990 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Guinea Ecuatorial. Programas de participación y de cooperación técnica Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Document Language A language of the resource Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Written Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Paris, Equatorial Guinea Neocolonial Politics in the Museum Research and Development Center for Bantu and Black African Art https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/6fd096ed99cef5f364d5682b9e3bb9ce.jpg 06ccf039aae4effcc58e664f10aafbba Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1. The Temptation of Empire Subject The topic of the resource Equatorial Guinea during the 19th and 20th century Description An account of the resource Archives are not merely sources for extracting knowledge but generators of colonial knowledge. Anthropologist Ann Laura Stoler argues that archives are “cultural artifacts of fact production, of taxonomies in the making, and of absurd notions of what made up colonial authority. Reading along the archival grain opens up enriching readings of them as sites of contested knowledges.” The first section, "The Temptation of Empire,” shows how written records, pavilions, and audiovisual products about Equatorial Guineans during the 19th and 20th centuries served as propaganda to legitimize the imperial project after the loss of Spain's colonies of the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Inspired by the contributions of the issue of Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies “El archivo colonial bajo el foco: representaciones audiovisuales de Guinea Ecuatorial” [The colonial archive in the spotlight: audiovisual representations of Equatorial Guinea], this part of the exhibition addresses how visual production along the 19th and 20th century not only deal with obvious propaganda messages, but also reveal contradictions and ambiguities within the colonial rule. Most of these resources are relatively still unknown within Hispanic studies and in cultural visual studies on European imperialism. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource González, Danae G., and Diana Arbaiza. "El Archivo Colonial Bajo El Foco: Representaciones Audiovisuales De Guinea Ecuatorial." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 159-174. Colmenero, Sara Santamaría. “El Paraíso Perdido: Nostalgias Coloniales En El Archivo Audiovisual de Guinea Ecuatorial (2000–2020).” Bulletin of Spanish visual studies. 6.2 (2022): 303–324. Web. Moriente, David, and Guillermo Navarro. "La Invención De Guinea Ecuatorial En La España De Franco: Una Visión De La Colonia a Través De Los Sellos De Correos." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 217-237. Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. López Sanz, Hasan G. "'Guinea. Negocio y Misión': La Fotografía En La Representación Del Poder y La Construcción De Sujetos Coloniales En Las Ferias Muestrario De Valencia De 1942 y 1946." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 197-215. Language A language of the resource English and Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Book Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 19th Century Spanish Expeditions within the West African Territory. The case of Manuel Iradier's "África. Viajes y trabajos de la asociación euskara la exploradora" Subject The topic of the resource Manuel Iradier and the Asociación euskara la exploradora Description An account of the resource “Mientras Bélgica ha derrochado su caudal en el Congo, Inglaterra, sus libras esterlinas, Francia y Alemania han pagado su alto tributo en dinero y sangre en el África Negra. España recibe de nuestras manos una hermosa colonia sin derramar una gota de sangre ni costarle una peseta. El milagro fue siempre nuestro y tuvo sus mártires.” “While Belgium has squandered its wealth in the Congo, England, its sterling, France and Germany have paid their high tribute in money and blood in Black Africa. Spain receives a beautiful colony from our hands without spilling a drop of blood or costing it a peseta. The miracle was always ours and it had its martyrs.” Manuel Iradier, colonial settler (1901). Manuel Iradier’s expeditions and the endeavors of the Asociación Euskara La Exploradora must be critically examined within the broader context of 19th-century Spanish imperialism. Iradier’s explorations in West Africa, particularly Equatorial Guinea, were not just scientific endeavors but integral parts of Spain's colonial project. By mapping uncharted territories and documenting the local populations, Iradier facilitated Spain’s territorial claims and subsequent colonial rule. His work, supported and funded by Spanish authorities, illustrates how exploration served imperial interests, cloaked in the guise of scientific discovery. The Asociación Euskara La Exploradora, as a colonial enterprise, further exemplifies this dynamic. It perpetuated colonial epistemologies by producing knowledge that framed African lands and peoples through a Eurocentric lens, reinforcing notions of European superiority and entitlement to foreign territories. Iradier’s ethnographic and geographic documentation imposed European categories onto African contexts, legitimizing the subjugation and exploitation of these regions. This critical perspective reveals that Iradier’s contributions, while significant in the field of geography, were also complicit in the broader mechanisms of colonial domination and control. Understanding Iradier's work within this framework underscores the importance of scrutinizing how colonial knowledge was produced and utilized to sustain imperialist agendas. Ultimately, Manuel Iradier’s assertion that Spain acquired its African colony peacefully and without financial cost contrasts sharply with the violent, costly colonial endeavors of Belgium, England, France, and Germany. This narrative seeks to justify Spanish colonial expansion by portraying it as more humane and morally superior. Additionally, it challenges the Black Legend, which painted Spain as uniquely cruel in its colonial practices, by suggesting that Spain was capable of ethical and just governance. By emphasizing a narrative of benevolent acquisition, Iradier aimed to rehabilitate Spain's colonial image and position it as a responsible colonial power. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available HathiTrust <a href="https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100345509" title="HathiThrust">https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100345509</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1901 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Asociación Euskara La Exploradora Language A language of the resource Spanish Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Iradier Bulfi, Manuel, 1854-1911, and Asociación Euskara La Exploradora. Africa: Viajes y trabajos de la Asociación Euskara La Exploradora. Reconocimiento de la zona ecuatorial de Africa en las costas de occidente: sus montañas, sus ríos, sus habitantes, clima, producciones y porvenir de estos países tropicales, posesiones españolas del Golfo de Guinea, adquisición para España de la Nueva Provincia del Muni. Bilbao: Andrés P.-Cardenal, 1901. Relation A related resource Bates, Robert H, V. Y Mudimbe, and Jean O'Barr. Africa and the Disciplines : the Contributions of Research In Africa to the Social Sciences and Humanities. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993. Loomba, Ania. Colonialism/postcolonialism. Third edition. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2015. Pratt, Mary Louise. Imperial Eyes : Travel Writing and Transculturation. Second edition. London: Routledge, 2008. Sociedad Geográfica Española “Exploradores españoles olvidados del siglo XIX” SGE. 2001 Stoler, Ann Laura. Race and the Education of Desire : Foucault's History of Sexuality and the Colonial Order of Things. Durham: Duke University Press, 1995. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant West Africa Asociasión Euskara la exploradora Manuel Iradier https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/501919723175e521954572a615e38a17.jpg 69f4d9a8271157cb901ca71d37479c13 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/b7b1f0f466d9645b265eaf0537538f2f.JPG 08f8b1faec7d081ba06613d5ce250266 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/2a020ba04c9bef575ba5068b93db4a89.jpg f0c5061c278fd5bdd339f907aee736da Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1. The Temptation of Empire Subject The topic of the resource Equatorial Guinea during the 19th and 20th century Description An account of the resource Archives are not merely sources for extracting knowledge but generators of colonial knowledge. Anthropologist Ann Laura Stoler argues that archives are “cultural artifacts of fact production, of taxonomies in the making, and of absurd notions of what made up colonial authority. Reading along the archival grain opens up enriching readings of them as sites of contested knowledges.” The first section, "The Temptation of Empire,” shows how written records, pavilions, and audiovisual products about Equatorial Guineans during the 19th and 20th centuries served as propaganda to legitimize the imperial project after the loss of Spain's colonies of the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Inspired by the contributions of the issue of Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies “El archivo colonial bajo el foco: representaciones audiovisuales de Guinea Ecuatorial” [The colonial archive in the spotlight: audiovisual representations of Equatorial Guinea], this part of the exhibition addresses how visual production along the 19th and 20th century not only deal with obvious propaganda messages, but also reveal contradictions and ambiguities within the colonial rule. Most of these resources are relatively still unknown within Hispanic studies and in cultural visual studies on European imperialism. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource González, Danae G., and Diana Arbaiza. "El Archivo Colonial Bajo El Foco: Representaciones Audiovisuales De Guinea Ecuatorial." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 159-174. Colmenero, Sara Santamaría. “El Paraíso Perdido: Nostalgias Coloniales En El Archivo Audiovisual de Guinea Ecuatorial (2000–2020).” Bulletin of Spanish visual studies. 6.2 (2022): 303–324. Web. Moriente, David, and Guillermo Navarro. "La Invención De Guinea Ecuatorial En La España De Franco: Una Visión De La Colonia a Través De Los Sellos De Correos." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 217-237. Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. López Sanz, Hasan G. "'Guinea. Negocio y Misión': La Fotografía En La Representación Del Poder y La Construcción De Sujetos Coloniales En Las Ferias Muestrario De Valencia De 1942 y 1946." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 197-215. Language A language of the resource English and Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Colonial Uses of International Exhibits. The Exposición Iberoamericana 1929-1930 Subject The topic of the resource Exposición Iberoamericana Description An account of the resource “After 1898, a desire to recreate or reconstruct a new empire that, although African, is documented in political and intellectual metropolitan spheres. A kind of ‘African-American Hispanism’ would emerge, as reflected in some colonial texts from the mid-1920s.” Luis Ángel Sánchez Gómez The Exposición Iberoamericana of 1929 was a significant world's fair held in Seville, Spain, aimed at showcasing Spain's cultural, economic, and technological achievements while reinforcing its imperial and colonial interests, particularly in Africa. Spain, by the early 20th century, had largely lost its American colonies but maintained territories in Africa, including Morocco, Western Sahara, and Equatorial Guinea. The exposition served as a platform to assert Spain's continued relevance as a colonial power and to project an image of cultural and historical continuity with its former American colonies. It emphasized Spain's role as a bridge between Europe and its overseas territories, promoting a narrative of shared heritage and mutual benefit. Imperially, the fair symbolized Spain's efforts to modernize and consolidate its colonial holdings in Africa amidst increasing challenges and nationalist movements in its territories. It showcased technological advancements and industrial progress as tools for economic development and control over colonial resources. In relation to Africa, the exposition's imperial agenda was evident in its cultural diplomacy and political symbolism. It aimed to reinforce Spain's territorial claims and authority in North Africa, where it faced resistance and competition from other European powers. The fair projected an image of Spain as a benevolent colonial ruler, fostering economic development and cultural exchange within its African territories. Overall, the Exposición Iberoamericana of 1929 served as a showcase of Spain's efforts to maintain and extend its imperial influence in the face of decolonization movements worldwide. It used cultural and economic displays to bolster its colonial project in Africa and to assert its position among other European powers in the scramble for colonial dominance. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sánchez Gómez, Luis Á. "África en Sevilla: la exhibición colonial de la Exposición Iberoamericana de 1929." Hispania (Madrid), vol. 66, no. 224, 2006, pp. 1045-1082. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1929 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Gustavo Bacarisas, Poster for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. Public Domain Vicente Traver Tomás, Plano de la Exposición Iberoamericana Americana de 1929 de Sevilla. Public Domain Relation A related resource Carlos, Abelardo de. Libro De Oro Ibero Americano: Catálogo Oficial Y Monumental De La Exposición De Sevilla. [Santander]: [Aldus, s. a., de artes gráficas], 1929. Gristwood, Anthony. “Commemorating Empire in Twentieth-Century Seville.” Imperial Cities, 2017, pp. 155–73. Rodríguez Bernal, Eduardo. Historia de la Exposición Ibero- Americana de Sevilla de 1929, Sevilla, Servicio de Publicaciones del Ayuntamiento de Sevilla, 1994. Solano Sobrado, María T. "Antecedentes Históricos De La Exposición Iberoamericana De Sevilla." Cuadernos de historia moderna y contemporánea, vol. 7, 1986, pp. 163. ProQuest, https://proxy.library.upenn.edu/loginurl=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/antecedentes-históricos-de-la-exposición/docview/1292636596/se-2. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Physical Medium Language A language of the resource Spain Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Exposición Iberoamericana https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/20bdd2e07aa8725882dbc624cf3d4d07.jpg dfe3a0fa4d9ed76c71e0c3bbdc640123 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/8f631fffbe7de88932eb49bc56b3f330.jpg 0531af0097b670a111354a832078ab27 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/172d41f13ecc2630613d8247b9dfd824.jpg 4beaeccbeac383a392317634e6fe5b52 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/9388fece8b947cec4b1ed9d9588fbc57.jpg 5dde89c0338d42868f208302856db474 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/2c64bd724b0076e5e0f505ee947619c8.jpg 15621bb2f2f5a2cf7f92adb6039b1f74 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1. The Temptation of Empire Subject The topic of the resource Equatorial Guinea during the 19th and 20th century Description An account of the resource Archives are not merely sources for extracting knowledge but generators of colonial knowledge. Anthropologist Ann Laura Stoler argues that archives are “cultural artifacts of fact production, of taxonomies in the making, and of absurd notions of what made up colonial authority. Reading along the archival grain opens up enriching readings of them as sites of contested knowledges.” The first section, "The Temptation of Empire,” shows how written records, pavilions, and audiovisual products about Equatorial Guineans during the 19th and 20th centuries served as propaganda to legitimize the imperial project after the loss of Spain's colonies of the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Inspired by the contributions of the issue of Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies “El archivo colonial bajo el foco: representaciones audiovisuales de Guinea Ecuatorial” [The colonial archive in the spotlight: audiovisual representations of Equatorial Guinea], this part of the exhibition addresses how visual production along the 19th and 20th century not only deal with obvious propaganda messages, but also reveal contradictions and ambiguities within the colonial rule. Most of these resources are relatively still unknown within Hispanic studies and in cultural visual studies on European imperialism. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource González, Danae G., and Diana Arbaiza. "El Archivo Colonial Bajo El Foco: Representaciones Audiovisuales De Guinea Ecuatorial." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 159-174. Colmenero, Sara Santamaría. “El Paraíso Perdido: Nostalgias Coloniales En El Archivo Audiovisual de Guinea Ecuatorial (2000–2020).” Bulletin of Spanish visual studies. 6.2 (2022): 303–324. Web. Moriente, David, and Guillermo Navarro. "La Invención De Guinea Ecuatorial En La España De Franco: Una Visión De La Colonia a Través De Los Sellos De Correos." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 217-237. Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. López Sanz, Hasan G. "'Guinea. Negocio y Misión': La Fotografía En La Representación Del Poder y La Construcción De Sujetos Coloniales En Las Ferias Muestrario De Valencia De 1942 y 1946." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 197-215. Language A language of the resource English and Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Pavilion of La Guinea Española in the Exposición Iberoamericana of Seville, 1929 Subject The topic of the resource Colonial Pavilions in the Exposición Iberoamericana Description An account of the resource “Spain assumes a new commitment and a new spiritual challenge in its territories of equatorial Africa: the very Christian enterprise of converting the “helpless” and “backward” native population of Guinea. The conjunction of both colonization designs results in the articulation of an enormous project of a Spanish-African spiritual community, very close, at least in theory, to what had been projected on American lands in the past. These are the ideological and spiritual bases that make it possible for the Sevillian exhibition to structure its contents in a Trinitarian model supported by the presence of the Spanish provinces, the American republics and the Hispanic colonies in Africa, with the unavoidable complement of the presence of several pavilions. institutional and the participation of some Spanish and foreign companies” (Sánchez Gomez 1049) The role of colonial pavilions in 19th and 20th century international expositions merits critical evaluation. These pavilions served as showcases for colonial powers to project cultural superiority, economic prowess, and political authority over their colonies. They often presented a curated image of colonial territories, highlighting indigenous crafts, natural resources, and aspects of daily life, but frequently through a lens shaped by colonial stereotypes and Eurocentric perspectives. The Guinea Pavilion exemplifies this approach, presenting Equatorial Guinea as a cultural and economic asset under Spanish governance, yet through a filtered and sometimes patronizing portrayal. The Guinea Pavilion at the Seville exposition, spanning 2,832 square meters on a 3,400 square meter plot, stood significantly larger than its Moroccan counterpart, illustrating Spain's expansive colonial ambitions. Designed by architect José Granados de la Vega and funded by the General Directorate of Morocco and Colonies, its construction aimed to assert Spain's presence in Equatorial Guinea. According to the official guide, the pavilion's overall concept was orchestrated by agricultural engineer Emilio Gómez Flores, with artistic oversight by Vicente Zubillaga. However, scholar Luis Ángel Sánchez Gómez critiques the design as a neo-colonial portrayal of "exotic-primitive" architectures, lacking genuine ethnographic inspiration (1069). Moreover, these pavilions were instruments of diplomatic strategy, asserting colonial claims and justifying imperial rule amidst growing international scrutiny and anti-colonial movements. They functioned as tools of soft power, influencing global perceptions of colonial administrations and reinforcing colonial hierarchies. The Guinea Pavilion, with its elaborate design and substantial size, aimed to impress visitors with Spain's commitment to modernizing and civilizing its African territories, while simultaneously perpetuating colonial narratives that justified European dominance over non-Western societies. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1929 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Carlos, Abelardo de. Libro de oro Ibero Americano: catálogo oficial y monumental de la exposición de Sevilla. [Santander]: [Aldus, s. a., de artes gráficas], 1929. Sánchez Gómez, Luis Á. "África en Sevilla: la exhibición colonial de la Exposición Iberoamericana de 1929." Hispania (Madrid), vol. 66, no. 224, 2006, pp. 1045-1082 Postcard Colonial Pavilion of the Spanish Guinea: https://sevilla.abc.es/sevilla/sevi-pabellones-29-sevilla-exoticos-memoriales-africa-201907060812_noticia.html Manuel, "Fotos y postales antiguas de Sevilla": https://postalesyfotosantiguasdesevilla.blogspot.com/ Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Territorios españoles del Golfo de Guinea. / Pabellón Colonial, Exposición Iberoamericana: Public Domain Mark 1.0 Relation A related resource Montalbán, Ramón. "La Guinea Española en la Exposición Ibero-Americana de Sevilla" Africa. Revista de Tropas Coloniales (Ceuta) 54 (junio de 1929) pp. 142-143 Rodríguez Bernal, Eduardo. Historia de la Exposición Ibero- Americana de Sevilla de 1929, Sevilla, Servicio de Publicaciones del Ayuntamiento de Sevilla, 1994. Exposición Iberoamericana, 1929. Territorios españoles del Golfo de Guinea. / Pabellón Colonial, Exposición Iberoamericana, Sevilla 1929. Madrid: Imprenta de Gráficas Reunidas, 1929. Online Access, Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla. https://archive.org/details/HCSFCa03042/page/n1/mode/2up Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Physical Medium Language A language of the resource Spanish and English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain Exposición Iberoamericana https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/282f0c87a4db97e13878dc1415daf300.jpg 7fc9c0104e294cdc4168212a786f0fea https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/5b9f8579a5ecaf339ef8637a7ef8850b.jpg c8c982283037f2371bb96a1ade2de064 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/5f53ffadae13c36f29101ef1cf6402d3.jpg 4de113ffe025e6ecb4eb245e4f74604f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1. The Temptation of Empire Subject The topic of the resource Equatorial Guinea during the 19th and 20th century Description An account of the resource Archives are not merely sources for extracting knowledge but generators of colonial knowledge. Anthropologist Ann Laura Stoler argues that archives are “cultural artifacts of fact production, of taxonomies in the making, and of absurd notions of what made up colonial authority. Reading along the archival grain opens up enriching readings of them as sites of contested knowledges.” The first section, "The Temptation of Empire,” shows how written records, pavilions, and audiovisual products about Equatorial Guineans during the 19th and 20th centuries served as propaganda to legitimize the imperial project after the loss of Spain's colonies of the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Inspired by the contributions of the issue of Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies “El archivo colonial bajo el foco: representaciones audiovisuales de Guinea Ecuatorial” [The colonial archive in the spotlight: audiovisual representations of Equatorial Guinea], this part of the exhibition addresses how visual production along the 19th and 20th century not only deal with obvious propaganda messages, but also reveal contradictions and ambiguities within the colonial rule. Most of these resources are relatively still unknown within Hispanic studies and in cultural visual studies on European imperialism. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource González, Danae G., and Diana Arbaiza. "El Archivo Colonial Bajo El Foco: Representaciones Audiovisuales De Guinea Ecuatorial." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 159-174. Colmenero, Sara Santamaría. “El Paraíso Perdido: Nostalgias Coloniales En El Archivo Audiovisual de Guinea Ecuatorial (2000–2020).” Bulletin of Spanish visual studies. 6.2 (2022): 303–324. Web. Moriente, David, and Guillermo Navarro. "La Invención De Guinea Ecuatorial En La España De Franco: Una Visión De La Colonia a Través De Los Sellos De Correos." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 217-237. Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. López Sanz, Hasan G. "'Guinea. Negocio y Misión': La Fotografía En La Representación Del Poder y La Construcción De Sujetos Coloniales En Las Ferias Muestrario De Valencia De 1942 y 1946." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 197-215. Language A language of the resource English and Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Bodies at the Pavilion of the Spanish Guinea during the Exposición Iberoamericana of Seville Subject The topic of the resource Exposición Iberomamericana Description An account of the resource At the Exposición Iberoamericana of 1929 in Seville, the Pavilion of Spanish Guinea prominently featured displays of Black bodies as part of its exhibition. This practice was consistent with the colonial exhibitions of the era, where indigenous people from the colonies were often showcased to highlight the supposed civilizing missions of European powers. In the Spanish Guinea pavilion, Black individuals were presented in constructed "authentic" environments, performing daily activities and cultural practices. These displays aimed to emphasize the exoticism and otherness of African people while simultaneously justifying Spain's colonial endeavors as benevolent and progressive. The exhibition perpetuated colonial stereotypes and reinforced racial hierarchies, portraying African people as primitive and in need of Spanish oversight and development. Such displays were intended to demonstrate Spain's imperial reach and its role in bringing civilization to its African territories, aligning with broader European colonial narratives. This objectification and dehumanization of Black bodies as in the case of the Corisqueños dancers served to legitimize colonial rule and distract from the exploitative realities of colonialism. The pavilion’s portrayal of Spanish Guinea thus played a crucial role in the cultural and political propaganda of the time, reinforcing Spain's colonial identity and ambitions on the international stage. Evidence of these human exhibits can be found in the photographs, articles, and postcards of the time, which documented and promoted the exposition’s themes and displays. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Sánchez Gómez, Luis Á. "África En Sevilla: La Exhibición Colonial De La Exposición Iberoamericana De 1929." Hispania (Madrid), vol. 66, no. 224, 2006, pp. 1045-1082. Manuel, "Fotos y postales antiguas de Sevilla". https://postalesyfotosantiguasdesevilla.blogspot.com/2020/02/pabellon-de-guinea-en-la-exposicion.html Archivo ABC. <a href="https://www.abc.es/archivo/fotos/los-reyes-de-espana-visitan-el-pabellon-de-guinea-en-la-7756607.html?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.es%2Farchivo%2Ffotos%2Flos-reyes-de-espana-visitan-el-pabellon-de-guinea-en-la-7756607.html" title="Archivo ABC">https://www.abc.es/archivo/fotos/los-reyes-de-espana-visitan-el-pabellon-de-guinea-en-la-7756607.html?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.es%2Farchivo%2Ffotos%2Flos-reyes-de-espana-visitan-el-pabellon-de-guinea-en-la-7756607.html</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1929 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Archivo ABC: Los Reyes de España Visitan el pabellón de guinea en la exposición Iberoamericana de 1929 en Sevilla Relation A related resource «El pabellón de Guinea en la Exposición de Sevilla» en Revista Hispano-Africana 5 (mayo de 1929) p. 15. Blanchard, Pascal. Human Zoos: Science and Spectacle In the Age of Colonial Empires. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2008. González, Danae G., and Diana Arbaiza. "El Archivo Colonial Bajo El Foco: Representaciones Audiovisuales De Guinea Ecuatorial." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 159-174. Plasencia Camps, Inés. "Embodying the Colonial Memory. White Colonists and “implicated Subjects” in Photographs from Equatorial Guinea." Culture & History Digital Journal, vol. 12, no. 1, 2023, pp. e004. Sánchez Gómez, Luis Á. "África En Sevilla: La Exhibición Colonial De La Exposición Iberoamericana De 1929." Hispania (Madrid), vol. 66, no. 224, 2006, pp. 1045-1082. Stoler, Ann Laura. Along the Archival Grain: Epistemic Anxieties and Colonial Common Sense. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009. Maxwell, Anne. Colonial Photography and Exhibitions: Representations of the Native and the Making of European Identities, 1901. Language A language of the resource Spanish and English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1. The Temptation of Empire Subject The topic of the resource Equatorial Guinea during the 19th and 20th century Description An account of the resource Archives are not merely sources for extracting knowledge but generators of colonial knowledge. Anthropologist Ann Laura Stoler argues that archives are “cultural artifacts of fact production, of taxonomies in the making, and of absurd notions of what made up colonial authority. Reading along the archival grain opens up enriching readings of them as sites of contested knowledges.” The first section, "The Temptation of Empire,” shows how written records, pavilions, and audiovisual products about Equatorial Guineans during the 19th and 20th centuries served as propaganda to legitimize the imperial project after the loss of Spain's colonies of the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Inspired by the contributions of the issue of Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies “El archivo colonial bajo el foco: representaciones audiovisuales de Guinea Ecuatorial” [The colonial archive in the spotlight: audiovisual representations of Equatorial Guinea], this part of the exhibition addresses how visual production along the 19th and 20th century not only deal with obvious propaganda messages, but also reveal contradictions and ambiguities within the colonial rule. Most of these resources are relatively still unknown within Hispanic studies and in cultural visual studies on European imperialism. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource González, Danae G., and Diana Arbaiza. "El Archivo Colonial Bajo El Foco: Representaciones Audiovisuales De Guinea Ecuatorial." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 159-174. Colmenero, Sara Santamaría. “El Paraíso Perdido: Nostalgias Coloniales En El Archivo Audiovisual de Guinea Ecuatorial (2000–2020).” Bulletin of Spanish visual studies. 6.2 (2022): 303–324. Web. Moriente, David, and Guillermo Navarro. "La Invención De Guinea Ecuatorial En La España De Franco: Una Visión De La Colonia a Través De Los Sellos De Correos." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 217-237. Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. López Sanz, Hasan G. "'Guinea. Negocio y Misión': La Fotografía En La Representación Del Poder y La Construcción De Sujetos Coloniales En Las Ferias Muestrario De Valencia De 1942 y 1946." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 197-215. Language A language of the resource English and Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Production of Colonial Science during Francoism Subject The topic of the resource Colonial Science in Equatorial Guinea during Francoism Description An account of the resource Modern science played a central role in the consolidation and maintenance of Spanish colonial rule, particularly under Francisco Franco's dictatorship. According to Cécile Stephanie Stehrenberger, In the early twentieth century, scientific and technological advancements, such as geographical and biomedical knowledge, became crucial tools for establishing Spanish authority in Equatorial Guinea (239). This trend intensified during Franco's regime, which systematically mobilized scientific knowledge to govern and exploit colonial populations and resources. Knowledge production and dissemination were closely intertwined, involving a dynamic interaction between scientists and various 'publics,' including colonial officials, business owners, and settlers in Equatorial Guinea. This engagement was not limited to the colonies; metropolitan audiences in Spain were also targeted to garner support for the colonial project. Institutions such as the Instituto de Estudios Africanos (Institute of African Studies) played a pivotal role in this endeavor. Founded in 1945, the institute was instrumental in generating and disseminating knowledge about Africa, thereby legitimizing and promoting Spain's colonial ambitions. It conducted extensive research in anthropology, geography, and history, producing studies that reinforced the narrative of Spanish benevolence and civilizing mission in Africa. Similarly, Hermic Films, a production company, created documentaries that showcased the supposed progress and benefits of Spanish colonialism. These efforts were aimed at both informing and persuading various audiences of the legitimacy and necessity of the colonial enterprise. By presenting a scientifically grounded and visually appealing narrative, these institutions helped to sustain metropolitan support for colonial policies and justify the exploitation of African populations and resources. Stehrenberger's work highlights how science and technology were not merely tools of colonial rule but integral to the ideological apparatus that sustained Franco's dictatorship and its imperial ambitions. Consequently, the following items included in the second half of the first collection explore in depth the scientific and technological sources adopted by this later stage of the imperial enterprise in Equatorial Guinea, whose institutions operated until the very ending of the colonial regime in the country. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Price Lab for the Digital Humanities Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource Aranzadi, Juan, and Gonzalo Alvarez Chillida. Guinea Ecuatorial (des)conocida: Lo Que Sabemos, Ignoramos, Inventamos Y Deformamos Acerca De Su Pasado Y Su Presente. Madrid: Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, 2020. Branche, Jerome. Post/colonialism and the Pursuit of Freedom In the Black Atlantic. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2018. Camprubi, Lino. Engineers and the Making of the Francoist Regime. MIT Press, Cambridge, 2014, doi:10.7551/mitpress/9780262027175.001.0001. Medina-Doménech, Rosa. "Scientific Technologies of National Identity as Colonial Legacies: Extracting the Spanish Nation from Equatorial Guinea." Social Studies of Science, vol. 39, no. 1, 2009, pp. 81-112. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Digital text Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Colonial Science Francoism Hermic Films Instituto de Estudios Africanos (IDEA) Revista Africa https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/0fb223e79f7c0763b927ac7d17ac2ef3.jpg ea21403c904a307638029195c935c5d5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1. The Temptation of Empire Subject The topic of the resource Equatorial Guinea during the 19th and 20th century Description An account of the resource Archives are not merely sources for extracting knowledge but generators of colonial knowledge. Anthropologist Ann Laura Stoler argues that archives are “cultural artifacts of fact production, of taxonomies in the making, and of absurd notions of what made up colonial authority. Reading along the archival grain opens up enriching readings of them as sites of contested knowledges.” The first section, "The Temptation of Empire,” shows how written records, pavilions, and audiovisual products about Equatorial Guineans during the 19th and 20th centuries served as propaganda to legitimize the imperial project after the loss of Spain's colonies of the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Inspired by the contributions of the issue of Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies “El archivo colonial bajo el foco: representaciones audiovisuales de Guinea Ecuatorial” [The colonial archive in the spotlight: audiovisual representations of Equatorial Guinea], this part of the exhibition addresses how visual production along the 19th and 20th century not only deal with obvious propaganda messages, but also reveal contradictions and ambiguities within the colonial rule. Most of these resources are relatively still unknown within Hispanic studies and in cultural visual studies on European imperialism. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource González, Danae G., and Diana Arbaiza. "El Archivo Colonial Bajo El Foco: Representaciones Audiovisuales De Guinea Ecuatorial." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 159-174. Colmenero, Sara Santamaría. “El Paraíso Perdido: Nostalgias Coloniales En El Archivo Audiovisual de Guinea Ecuatorial (2000–2020).” Bulletin of Spanish visual studies. 6.2 (2022): 303–324. Web. Moriente, David, and Guillermo Navarro. "La Invención De Guinea Ecuatorial En La España De Franco: Una Visión De La Colonia a Través De Los Sellos De Correos." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 217-237. Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. López Sanz, Hasan G. "'Guinea. Negocio y Misión': La Fotografía En La Representación Del Poder y La Construcción De Sujetos Coloniales En Las Ferias Muestrario De Valencia De 1942 y 1946." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 197-215. Language A language of the resource English and Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data photo Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Instituto de Estudios Africanos (IDEA) in the Spanish Guinea Subject The topic of the resource Colonial Science in Equatorial Guinea during Francoism Description An account of the resource The Instituto de Estudios Africanos (IDEA), founded in 1945, was a Spanish institution dedicated to the study and promotion of African cultures, histories, and geographies, primarily to support and legitimize Spain's colonial ambitions in Africa, particularly in Equatorial Guinea. Active until the end of the colonial regime, IDEA conducted and published extensive research portraying Spanish colonialism as a civilizing mission. The IDEA brought together scientists from different disciplines and fields—such as geology, ethnology, archaeology, medicine, history, and law—and other colonial ‘experts’ such as missionaries or generals, seasonally commissioned for specific scientific expeditions. The institute was run by a combination of academics, colonial administrators, and policymakers who were aligned with Francoist ideologies. Notable figures included scholars such as historian and Africanist Julio Caro Baroja, who contributed to the ethnographic and cultural studies promoted by IDEA. The institution played a significant role in creating and disseminating knowledge that supported the colonial narrative, influencing both colonial policy and public perception in Spain regarding its African territories. In summary, the institute’s aim was to create ‘total knowledge’ about the colonies from a ‘plurality of angles.’ Visual elements were crucial for audiences’ intellectual and emotional activation regarding their 'expository science'. This institute served as a hub for scholars and officials who produced extensive studies on African societies, resources, and environments, framing them within a narrative of Spanish benevolence and developmentalism. The institute's publications and activities were crucial in maintaining the ideological support for colonial rule within Spain, portraying the colonial project as a scientific and civilizing endeavor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Díaz de Villegas, José. ‘Labor del Instituto de Estudios Africanos’, África, 3a época, 85, 1949, pp. 2–6. Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Price Lab for the Digital Humanities Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource Aixelà Cabré, Yolanda. Spain's African Colonial Legacies : Morocco and Equatorial Guinea Compared. Leiden: Brill, 2022. Martin-Márquez, Susan. Disorientations : Spanish Colonialism In Africa and the Performance of Identity. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Digital Text Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Colonial Science Francoism Instituto de Estudios Africanos (IDEA) https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/3ff0cc170aa177c1a1609a418125c9ad.jpg 7a5c832d80a85f8ad5dbaa011960ced5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1. The Temptation of Empire Subject The topic of the resource Equatorial Guinea during the 19th and 20th century Description An account of the resource Archives are not merely sources for extracting knowledge but generators of colonial knowledge. Anthropologist Ann Laura Stoler argues that archives are “cultural artifacts of fact production, of taxonomies in the making, and of absurd notions of what made up colonial authority. Reading along the archival grain opens up enriching readings of them as sites of contested knowledges.” The first section, "The Temptation of Empire,” shows how written records, pavilions, and audiovisual products about Equatorial Guineans during the 19th and 20th centuries served as propaganda to legitimize the imperial project after the loss of Spain's colonies of the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Inspired by the contributions of the issue of Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies “El archivo colonial bajo el foco: representaciones audiovisuales de Guinea Ecuatorial” [The colonial archive in the spotlight: audiovisual representations of Equatorial Guinea], this part of the exhibition addresses how visual production along the 19th and 20th century not only deal with obvious propaganda messages, but also reveal contradictions and ambiguities within the colonial rule. Most of these resources are relatively still unknown within Hispanic studies and in cultural visual studies on European imperialism. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource González, Danae G., and Diana Arbaiza. "El Archivo Colonial Bajo El Foco: Representaciones Audiovisuales De Guinea Ecuatorial." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 159-174. Colmenero, Sara Santamaría. “El Paraíso Perdido: Nostalgias Coloniales En El Archivo Audiovisual de Guinea Ecuatorial (2000–2020).” Bulletin of Spanish visual studies. 6.2 (2022): 303–324. Web. Moriente, David, and Guillermo Navarro. "La Invención De Guinea Ecuatorial En La España De Franco: Una Visión De La Colonia a Través De Los Sellos De Correos." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 217-237. Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. López Sanz, Hasan G. "'Guinea. Negocio y Misión': La Fotografía En La Representación Del Poder y La Construcción De Sujetos Coloniales En Las Ferias Muestrario De Valencia De 1942 y 1946." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 197-215. Language A language of the resource English and Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Visual Archive Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Colonial Documentary during Francoism: the case of Hermic Films Subject The topic of the resource Colonial Film and Photographic Culture during Francoism Description An account of the resource Hermic Films, founded in 1940 by Manuel Hernández Sanjuán, played a crucial role as an ideological tool of imperial propaganda during Franco's regime, similar to the colonial science promoted by the Instituto de Estudios Africanos. Known for its extensive production of over 200 short films, predominantly documentaries, Hermic Films contributed significantly to the regime's narrative of empire and colonialism. In 1944, under the direction of General José Díaz de Villegas, the company embarked on a major project to document Spanish Guinea. This mission, carried out between 1944 and 1946, resulted in over 5,000 photographs and thirty-one documentary films. According to Alba Valenciano Mañé and Francesca Bayre, these films were more than mere recordings; they were designed to present an idealized vision of Spanish colonial efforts, showcasing the supposed benefits of Spanish rule and the exoticism of African territories. Exhibited in 1946 at Madrid's Palacio de la Música, the documentaries aimed to foster domestic support for colonial policies and to portray a stable, prosperous empire. Hermic Films, like the Instituto de Estudios Africanos, played a vital role in justifying and maintaining Spain's colonial presence through controlled representations of colonial life. By shaping public perception and reinforcing the narrative of a civilizing mission, Hermic Films helped fortify the cultural and ideological underpinnings of the regime. Their work was instrumental in crafting a sanitized image of colonialism that aligned with the imperialist and nationalist ethos of the time, making Hermic Films a key player in the cultural perpetuation of colonial ideology. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Colección Filmoteca Española Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Visual Archive Language A language of the resource Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Film and photography Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Elena, Alberto. "Spanish Colonial Cinema: Contours and Singularities". Joumal of Film Preservation 63 (2001): 29-35. Landau, Paul S. Introducción. "An amazing distance: pictures and Empires: Visuality in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa . Ed. Kaspin, Berkeley: U of California Mañé, Alba Valenciano, and Francesca Bayre. “Cuerpos Naturales, Mentes Coloniales: Las Imágenes de Hermic Films En La Guinea Española.” Afro-Hispanic Review, vol. 28, no. 2, 2009, pp. 245–68. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41349287. Accessed 22 July 2024. Ortín, Pere y Pereira, Vic. M bini: Cazadores de imágenes en la Guinea colonial. Barcelona: Altair, 2006. Nerín, Gustau. Guinea Ecuatorial: Historia en blanco y negro. Barcelona: Península, 1997. Nerín, Gustau, y Alfred Bosch. El imperio que nunca existió. Barcelona: Plaza, 2001. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archivo Hermic Films. Colección Filmoteca Española. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940-1977 Relation A related resource Hernández-Sanjuán, Manuel. Bajo la lámpara de bosque. 1946 (serie La Guinea Española 71) M bini: Cazadores de imágenes en la Guinea colonial Ed. Pere Ortín, Vic Pereiro. Barcelona: Altair, 2006. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Colonial Documentary Francoism Hermic Films https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/93ec0267c4e786421228ddabec1b4839.jpg e616f166a567894a9fa8008efd76da19 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/c8a5a9bb05ac6fab4a858f514aa82ad4.jpg 43f8ab766f04520e91f8096c0c8eecd1 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/e3cd22c5b6df001c4aec3fee7832e3fe.jpg fb91eed0c4e5c0ab2af0e252602d748c https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/70fb19bbb00477d53caaa197e0949e26.jpg 915c177ef73c8d35f46afd82d77904fe https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/a96b49a04e91a82054cef59b94284778.jpg 43f8ab766f04520e91f8096c0c8eecd1 https://hernando.upenn.domains/files/original/e5831c7242a0f16aee6942f3a68c6db0.jpg ffe2363f24bacea8aa2058c7de7cfbae Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1. The Temptation of Empire Subject The topic of the resource Equatorial Guinea during the 19th and 20th century Description An account of the resource Archives are not merely sources for extracting knowledge but generators of colonial knowledge. Anthropologist Ann Laura Stoler argues that archives are “cultural artifacts of fact production, of taxonomies in the making, and of absurd notions of what made up colonial authority. Reading along the archival grain opens up enriching readings of them as sites of contested knowledges.” The first section, "The Temptation of Empire,” shows how written records, pavilions, and audiovisual products about Equatorial Guineans during the 19th and 20th centuries served as propaganda to legitimize the imperial project after the loss of Spain's colonies of the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Inspired by the contributions of the issue of Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies “El archivo colonial bajo el foco: representaciones audiovisuales de Guinea Ecuatorial” [The colonial archive in the spotlight: audiovisual representations of Equatorial Guinea], this part of the exhibition addresses how visual production along the 19th and 20th century not only deal with obvious propaganda messages, but also reveal contradictions and ambiguities within the colonial rule. Most of these resources are relatively still unknown within Hispanic studies and in cultural visual studies on European imperialism. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Relation A related resource González, Danae G., and Diana Arbaiza. "El Archivo Colonial Bajo El Foco: Representaciones Audiovisuales De Guinea Ecuatorial." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 159-174. Colmenero, Sara Santamaría. “El Paraíso Perdido: Nostalgias Coloniales En El Archivo Audiovisual de Guinea Ecuatorial (2000–2020).” Bulletin of Spanish visual studies. 6.2 (2022): 303–324. Web. Moriente, David, and Guillermo Navarro. "La Invención De Guinea Ecuatorial En La España De Franco: Una Visión De La Colonia a Través De Los Sellos De Correos." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 217-237. Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258. López Sanz, Hasan G. "'Guinea. Negocio y Misión': La Fotografía En La Representación Del Poder y La Construcción De Sujetos Coloniales En Las Ferias Muestrario De Valencia De 1942 y 1946." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 197-215. Language A language of the resource English and Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Hyperlink A link, or reference, to another resource on the Internet. URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jt-3Df2gTE Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Technology and neocolonial Imperialism: the arrival of the Spanish TV to Equatorial Guinea, Fernando Poo (1968) Subject The topic of the resource Spanish Postcolonial Imperialism Description An account of the resource In 1968, just after Equatorial Guinea gained independence from Spain, the introduction of Spanish television marked a significant moment in the nation's media landscape. Despite the newfound political autonomy, Spain's cultural and ideological influence persisted, manifesting through various institutions and visual media. This continued presence highlighted Spain's neocolonial intentions, thinly veiled under the rhetoric of collaboration and progress. The arrival of Spanish television services in Equatorial Guinea was framed by Spain as a gesture of goodwill, aimed at fostering development and modernization. The Spanish Minister of Communications, in his inaugural speech, likely emphasized this collaboration, presenting the new television services as a symbol of shared progress. This narrative, however, subtly reinforced Spain's cultural and technological dominance, suggesting that Equatorial Guinea's advancement depended on Spanish contributions. Local elites in Equatorial Guinea played a crucial role in sustaining this neocolonial enterprise. Their cooperation with Spanish authorities helped legitimize Spain's ongoing influence, portraying it as beneficial for the country's growth. This collaboration underscored the complex power dynamics between the former colonizer and the newly independent state. The Head of State of Equatorial Guinea, in his address during the inauguration, probably expressed gratitude for the new television services, framing them as a positive contribution from Spain. This expression of appreciation, while diplomatically necessary, also reflected the lingering influence of Spain in the post-independence era. The speech likely echoed the modernization narrative, suggesting that Spanish technology and media would propel the country into a new era of progress. This perspective often marginalized indigenous forms of knowledge and communication, privileging Western media and content. The integration of Spanish television services into Equatorial Guinea's media landscape symbolized the country's incorporation into the global (Western-dominated) media sphere. While presented as a step towards development, this move reinforced Spain's cultural hegemony, maintaining control over the narratives and identities within Equatorial Guinea. The original clip announcing the arrival of the Spanish TV is available of Youtube through the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jt-3Df2gTE&t=10s You can find attached the written versions of the speeches by both the Minister of Communications of Spain and the Head of State of Equatorial Guinea, as part of the diplomatic, media, and political activities related to the arrival of Spanish TV. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived 1968 La Televisión llega a Guinea Ecuatorial - Spain TV arrives to Equatorial Guinea Fernando Poo. Published by Retroclips. Consulted July 22th, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jt-3Df2gTE Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1968 Language A language of the resource Spanish Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available RTVE (Radiotelevisión Española) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource RTVE (Radiotelevisión Española) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Video Text Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Spain, Equatorial Guinea Francoism Neocolonialism and Technology Spanish TV in Equatorial Guinea Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2. Neocolonial Politics in the Museum and Conflicting Identities in Equatorial Guinea Subject The topic of the resource Neocolonial Politics in Equatorial Guinea Description An account of the resource The second section of the exhibit, "Neocolonial Politics of the Museum," aims to contextualize and critically examine the materials, texts, and policies that emanate from institutional artistic and educational spaces in Equatorial Guinea during the regime of Teodoro Obiang in the post-independence period. This section departs from a decolonial critique that, despite the end of formal colonial rule by Spain, politics of international collaboration have become an expression of neocolonial forms of cultural and economic influence in Equatorial Guinea. Within the fields of arts and education, intellectual and artistic expression in Equatorial Guinea remain heavily influenced by Western canons. This continues to shape the ways in which art is taught, evaluated, and displayed in museums and galleries, in addition to the cultural narratives that sustain the historical ties to the colonial past. While Western aesthetic standards and curatorial practices often result in the marginalization of black artists, their work is frequently framed through a Eurocentric lens, which can strip it of its cultural and historical context. Similarly, educational materials reflect this ongoing neocolonial influence. Textbooks and curricula often present history from a predominantly Western perspective, emphasizing European achievements while downplaying or distorting the rich histories and contributions of African societies. This not only skews students' understanding of their own heritage but also reinforces a Eurocentric worldview. The political rhetoric and policies of the Obiang regime further complicate the post-independence cultural landscape. The regime's promotion of a homogenized national identity, such as through the myth of Bantu Unity, mirrors colonial strategies of governance that sought to control and assimilate diverse populations. By promoting a unified identity that glosses over cultural diversity, the regime reinforces a simplified and controlled narrative of national identity that serves its own political ends. Igor Cusack’s insights into the regime's manipulation of colonial legacies provide a crucial perspective for this exhibition section. Cusack notes how the regime has "promoted the importance of Hispanic culture in the formation of the ‘nation’s’ cultural identity, while at the same time, it has unashamedly used Spain’s desire to perpetuate its own culture in Africa as a ploy in appealing for development aid." This dual strategy underscores how deeply embedded Western cultural influences remain, shaping both national identity and international relations in ways that benefit the regime. In summary, "Neocolonial Politics of the Museum" aims to uncover and critique these layers of influence, demonstrating how institutional spaces and policies continue to reflect and perpetuate colonial ideologies. By bringing these issues into context, the exhibition encourages viewers to question the narratives presented within these spaces and consider the ongoing impact of neocolonialism in shaping cultural and political life in Equatorial Guinea. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Cusack, Igor. "Hispanic and Bantu Inheritance, Trauma, Dispersal and Return: Some Contributions to a Sense of National Identity in Equatorial Guinea." Nations and Nationalism, vol. 5, no. 2, 1999, pp. 207-236. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Price Lab for the Digital Humanities, University of Pennsylvania Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Digital Exhibit Language A language of the resource English, Spanish Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Equatorial Guinea Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Text Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Myth of Bantu Unity and Equatorial Guinea Conflicting Identities during Obiangs’ Regime Subject The topic of the resource Neocolonial Politics in the aftermath of the Imperial Enterprise Description An account of the resource At this point, my curation aims to illustrate how the conflict regarding the Bantu myth has added an extra layer of complexity to the operation of neocolonial politics, with local elites acting as their conduits in the aftermath of Francoism and the Spanish imperial project. The materials included in this curation—textbooks, poems, intellectual research, and material culture—provide a comprehensive overview of the varied reactions, both critical and supportive, to Obiang’s cultural and ethnic enterprise. The Guinean-Ecuadorian state itself is a product of colonial engineering aimed at homogenizing a diverse society. The colonial powers attempted to create a unified social organization, disregarding the unique histories and commitments of the different ethnic groups. This homogenizing effort has made it challenging for Equatorial Guinea to function as a unified state accepted by all its ethnic constituents (Muakuku Rondo, 19). Precisely, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo’s regime has intricately woven the myth of Bantu unity and the influence of Hispanic culture into its political and cultural framework, creating a narrative that attempts to foster national cohesion while navigating the country's complex ethnic landscape. Equatorial Guinea, with its diverse array of ethnic groups, including the Fang, Bubi, Ndowe, and Annobonese, has been a fertile ground for such manipulation. The Fang, a Bantu-speaking people, form the majority and dominate the mainland region of Río Muni. The Bubi primarily inhabit Bioko Island, the Ndowe reside along the coastal areas, and the Annobonese live on the island of Annobón. The regime has leveraged the notion of Bantu unity to propose a shared cultural heritage among these groups, institutionalized through initiatives like the 'Centre International des Civilisations Bantu' (CICIBA) in Libreville, Gabon, with support from UNESCO, the UNDP, the EU, and other organizations (Cusack, 79). The international backing of Bantu cultural unity adds a veneer of legitimacy to the regime's narrative. However, this narrative of unity belies the deep-seated ethnic divisions within the country. The Fang ethnic group, to which Obiang belongs, has maintained political dominance since independence, leading to perceptions of favoritism and marginalization among other groups, particularly the Bubi. The Bubi have a distinct identity and have historically resisted assimilation into the broader Bantu identity promoted by the Fang. This resistance has often been met with repression and violence, especially following the discovery of oil on Bioko Island, which heightened the island’s economic importance. The regime’s exploitation of ethnic divisions extends to other groups as well. The Ndowe, primarily coastal dwellers, frequently feel excluded from the political and economic developments that favor the mainland and Bioko Island. Similarly, the Annobonese, isolated on a distant island, have limited political influence and access to national resources. The discovery and exploitation of oil have further exacerbated these tensions, as the wealth generated has not been evenly distributed. This uneven distribution of resources fuels grievances among marginalized groups who see the benefits accruing predominantly to the Fang elite and their associates. In parallel, Obiang’s regime has actively promoted the importance of Hispanic culture in shaping the nation’s identity. This strategy serves a dual purpose: it reinforces a sense of shared cultural heritage with Spain and appeals to Spain’s interest in perpetuating its cultural legacy in Africa, often as a means of soliciting development aid. This linkage between Hispanic and African cultures can be traced back to Francoist ideologies such as "hispanotropicalismo" (Cusack, 214). In summary, the following section of the collection offers a comprehensive overview of the varied reactions to Obiang’s cultural and ethnic enterprise. These materials illustrate the complex ways in which neocolonial politics operate in Equatorial Guinea, with local elites acting as the conduits of these policies. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexis Hernando Cubas Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Muakuku Rondo Igambo, Fernando. Conflictos étnicos y Gobernabilidad: Guinea Ecuatorial. Ediciones Carena, Barcelona, 2006. Cusack, Igor. "Nation-Builders at Work: The Equatoguinean 'Myth' of Bantu Unity." Nationalism & Ethnic Politics, vol. 7, no. 3, 2001, pp. 77-97. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Price Lab for the Digital Humanities Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August, 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creative Commons Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Digital Text Language A language of the resource English Bantu Unity Equatorial Guinea Conflicting Identities Obiang's Regime