Tropaganda - art colonialism and struggles over history

The book Tropaganda focuses on how art and visual culture have shaped the understanding of Denmark's colonial history in the Caribbean – from the former colony of the Danish West Indies to today's US Virgin Islands.

Drawing on portraits of slave owners in the 18th century, landscape images of sugar plantations in the 19th century, advertisements and the aesthetics of colonial goods in the 20th century, and contemporary tourism campaigns, Mathias Danbolt, professor of art history at the University of Copenhagen, examines how colonialism has shaped art, history, and collective memory. With a critical look at Danish art history's tendency to ignore colonial history, the book also shows how contemporary art can open up new and challenging perspectives on both the colonial past and our own present.