This exhibition aims to bring to light a few specific Dutch narratives regarding colonialism and the "Other" it creates — narratives that obscure and conceal the precarity it created and still maintains. To do so the exhibition focuses on the idea of propaganda and narrative construction, while also putting emphasis on anti-colonial voices and stories from former Dutch colonies. Instead of having clear cut answers, a main grand narrative, this exhibition focuses on fragmented narratives intersecting and parting ways.
Carries multiple elements of the artworks to be displayed.
This same abstraction appears in the exhibit’s timeline of key historical events, tracing the path from enslavement to abolition.
Deconstruction and Reconfiguration.
By deconstructing and reconfiguring these historical images, the piece critiques how narratives have been manipulated and how the voices of marginalized communities have been erased or ignored. The stitched images symbolize fragmented histories, bringing attention to the people and stories omitted from dominant historical accounts. This visual process highlights the gaps and distortions in historical records, inviting viewers to reflect on the power dynamics behind historical construction and the importance of reclaiming silenced perspectives.
Jacob Theodoor Cremer was a Dutch colonial minister who played a key role in expanding the exploitative tobacco industry in Sumatra. His statue in Medan was removed as part of Indonesia’s decolonization efforts, reflecting the resistance of the colonized against figures who upheld forced labor and Dutch imperial rule.
The Dutch Flag, Stripped of Colour.
The Dutch flag, stripped of colour (essentially just three shades of grey) loses its identity. Without colour, the flag becomes unrecognizable, devoid of the connection to the nation it represents. Much of Dutch nationalism is intertwined with the cultures of the nations it colonized, cultures brought back to the Netherlands and woven into its identity. The flag's colours, more than just a design, symbolize these nations and their histories. What would the Netherlands be without colour? What would be reflected in a flag absent of its vibrancy?
Conversation Table.
The introductory text at the entrance of the exhibition. On the right is the timeline piece that is
The introductory text and timeline positionaed at the entrance of the exhibition. The timeline marks key moments in Dutch colonial history — from systems of enslavement to abolition. Its fragmented layout resists linear storytelling, emphasizing rupture, omission, and resistance. It invites viewers to reflect on how history is constructed, and whose timelines are remembered or erased.
Display of individuals whose resistance, writing, and activism played a crucial role in challenging imperial power and reclaiming historical narratives.