Dossier Indië and Merdeka! at Wereldmuseum Rotterdam
DOSSIER INDIË
October 2, 2020 — December 31, 2020
Dossier Indië delves into the history of Indonesia under colonialism. The earliest photographs depict an idealized image of a glorious Dutch East Indies. The exhibition shows how 19th century photographers shaped a mythical image of the colonies. But in the late 19th century and in the 20th century, the photographs gradually change in character to lay bare a more accurate picture of the relations in colonial society. The perspective shifts from the Dutch colonials to the colonized Indonesian people. Alongside these photographs, the exhibition also explores the themes of economic exploitation and the colonial war. As part of Dossier Indië the Rotterdam-based photographer Stacii Samidin photographed the series Merdeka!
MERDEKA!
October 2, 2020 — December 31, 2020
Rotterdam-based photographer with Indonesian roots Stacii Samidin was commissioned by Rotterdam’s World Museum to make the series Merdeka! as part of the Dossier Indië exhibition.
Stacii traveled to Indonesia and went in search of the traces left by the Dutch presence. Merdeka is a frequently used expression in the Indonesian and Moluccan communities and means freedom or independence. The exhibition constitutes a personal reflection on the colonial remnants Samidin encountered in present-day Indonesia and the Netherlands. In his exhibition for the World Museum Samidin looks beyond the year 1949.
