THE HAGUE.- Last week marked the opening of the new permanent display that Kossmanndejong designed for Museum Sophiahof. Our Land – Decolonisation, generations, stories shows how the Dutch East Indies’ colonial past lives on in Dutch society today. Through personal family histories, you will discover how the effects of the Dutch East Indies’ colonial past passes from one generation to the next. This multitude of perspectives invites visitors to enter the conversation with their thoughts.

Back in time with the families

This exhibition is a journey backward in time. Eight families guide your journey as you travel from the present-day Netherlands to the Dutch East Indies in the 1950s. Following the families’ stories in reverse, each generation tells you about their experiences specific to their time and place. The families provided never-before-seen objects and images from their archives to illustrate their experiences.

The living colonial past

This exhibition is about the Dutch East Indies' colonial history and the decolonization process that followed. Animations inspired by Wayang puppetry show how the colonial system permeated every fibre of existence. We also see how the youngest generation turns their family story into a powerful part of their identity. Personal and emotional narration is central throughout this exhibition. Interactive screens, infographics, an audio tour, and a booklet provide historical interpretation and context.

'We used the metaphor of the Netherlands as a kaleidoscope for the scenography as well as for the narrative. Each complex and colourful image creates a new lense from which to view history.' --Femke Bijlsma, content developer and partner Kossmanndejong

The Kaleidoscopic Netherlands

Lighting sets the mood in this exhibition. Anyone who has been to Indonesia knows that its light looks and feels very different than the light in the Netherlands. Inspired by this difference in atmosphere, we leveraged the locations’ unique light and colour to mirror the families’ emotions. In one room, the present-day Netherlands is a cacophony of image and sound. In another, you step into a chilly, bleak Dutch winter world. This grey setting is the backdrop for the families’ migration stories. Through film portraits, family members describe how their reception in the Netherlands was not particularly warm. While some neighbours were welcoming, the family members also experienced homesickness, racism, and feelings of not belonging. A shadowy spectacle shimmers beyond this cold reception. Projections onto voile cloths represent fragments of memories from Indonesia and evoke associations of waves at sea. Here, you learn why family members left their homes and which precious objects they chose to carry along their journeys. The last room creates a space for reflection. It encourages visitors to delve into the many different family histories in the Netherlands (including their own) and appreciate how each story is worth being told.

Shifting perspectives

Everyone has a different relationship with the living colonial past. To honour its complexity and layered history, we selected family stories that represent as many perspectives as possible. While the stories in this exhibition do not provide a complete picture of the living colonial past, they show how the Dutch East Indies’ colonial past is a story with many faces.