Mention Indonesia to a large proportion of the Dutch population, and they see an idyllic  holiday destination where you’re served drinks in coconut shells. But behind this squeaky-clean travel guide image lies a history that has shaped our complex cultural identity. Even today, the legacy of the colony is still very much in evidence – in the Netherlands, in Indonesia and in the stories featured in the exhibition Indo, Indië, Indonesië: through the eyes of generation NOW.

In 1808, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Herman Willem Daendels ordered forced Indonesian labourers to build the Grote Postweg. Over two hundred years later, Eric Kampherbeek biked along this infamous colonial road connecting East and West Java, taking pictures of daily life along the way. The photographer discovered just how clearly the colonial past is still echoed in present-day Indonesian society. He noted his findings in letters addressed to his dead grandmother, who came to the Netherlands as an Indonesian-Dutch woman after independence.

Why didn’t the Netherlands try to help earlier? The ‘widows of Rawagede’ court case immediately raises this question. On 9 December 1947, Dutch soldiers executed 431 men in the village of Rawagede on West Java. For decades, the Netherlands tried to play down this incident but in 2009, a group of elderly widows pressed charges against the Dutch State. Photographer Suzanne Liem made portraits of the women pressing the charges, who won their case and inspired widows from Sulawesi to seek justice too.

For many Indonesians, their colonial past lives on not only visibly, but also invisibly. They believe that the spirits of the Dutch still roam the ruins of the colonial buildings. The occupiers, who managed to instil a serious inferiority complex into several generations, are still very much present in the country and lives of ordinary Indonesians. The Jakarta-based artist couple Irwan Ahmett and Tita Salina discovered the ultimate embodiment of the power of the invisible in a famous Indonesian film actress: Suzzanna van Osch (1942 – 2008). The ‘Queen of horror’ speaks to us through an installation comprising holograms and video footage.

Lara Nuberg, best known for her blog Gewoon een Indisch meisje (An ordinary Indonesian girl), worked in and around The Hague for her project. But the stories that this writer and podcast maker collected reach much further than this. Her audio installation Het Rood-Wit-Blauwe Huisje (The Red-White-Blue House) consists of five short stories, some amusing and some moving, which can be seen as a fleeting or more serious comment on being Indonesian in the Netherlands. Her interviewees include first, second and third generation Indonesian Dutch people, who talk openly about subjects such as homesickness and nostalgia in Indonesian families and dealing with a complex cultural identity.

Cultural identity is also the main theme of an extensive live programme. In collaboration with the Migration Museum and The Hague Freedom Weeks, Het Nutshuis is organising a varied range of interactive programmes including films, interviews and workshops. You can find all the events in our agenda.

This project was realized with financial support by Stroom Den Haag.
Please note: the exposition is closed on Thursday 28 March from 1pm till Friday 29 March 4pm.

TransitieCinema is the monthly free-admission documentary event organized by volunteers. Movies about sustainability and transition are screened in Het Nutshuis. Information about the film will follow soon on this page. As follow-up to the movie there is further discussion with the audience about the topic and its relevance for The Hague. E.g. by a Q&A with experts or a workshop.

The evening starts at 18.00 with a vegan sustainable dinner by Cafe Juni (optional). At 19.30 the movie screening starts (and the doors will be closed). After the movie there is room for further conversation with a drink. The event is in English, but Dutch subtitles are included if available.

You can support and sponsor TransitieCinema through donation. Or co-operate as organization with us to highlight a relevant topic through a movie. For more details please check the TransitieCinema website.

Please note: Dutch will be the main language during this programme, unless international guests are being interviewed.

What better way to end March than with Kamera Kultura in Het Nutshuis? Inspirational discussions, exciting performances, a delicious fresh brunch at Juni Café and a committed presenter: Jellie Brouwer (from NTR Kunststof).

Why didn’t the Netherlands step in to help earlier? This is the question that immediately springs to mind on hearing about the ‘widows of Rawagede’ court case. On 9 December 1947, Dutch soldiers executed 431 men in the village of Rawagede on West-Java. The Netherlands then spent decades trying to cover up the incident. This lasted until 2009, when a group of elderly widows pressed charges against the Dutch State. Photographer Suzanne Liem shot portraits of the women involved in the litigation, who eventually won their case and gave widows from Sulawesi the courage to seek justice too. Her work is part of the Indo, Indië, Indonesië: Through the eyes of generation NOW exhibition, which will run in Het Nutshuis until 6 May. Jellie will talk to Suzanne about this project and her latest plans.

Clear, direct, targeting the audience: in your face. These terms most definitely apply to the Spoken Word genre. “I think we can well and truly dispense with the notion that young people want nothing to do with literature”. This is according to Babs Gons, the ‘grand lady’ of the Spoken Word. The writer, performer and theatre maker from Amsterdam is appearing on stages at home and abroad to bring the stories she writes to life. On the last day of March, she will stun the Kamera Kultura audience with this genuinely authentic presentation.

The music for this edition comes from two passionate men, who excel on the accordion and guitar: the Jolly Mangos. Sander Kuin and Coen Gulcher have been blazing their musical trail through several countries, from Italy to Colombia. Wherever they go, they try their hand at local music. As a result, their repertoire features influences from throughout the world. We could try to describe their infectious sound, but it´s much better to listen for yourself. Which is exactly what you can do by watching the documentary Bon Ami and, of course, coming to Het Nutshuis on 31 March!

For this musical excursion, we are paying a visit to the Migration Museum (just 600 metres from Het Nutshuis). In association with the Ohana Foundation, this brand-new museum is organizing a full afternoon programme about Hawaiian music as an Indonesian legacy. It features the première of the documentary Hawaii, mijn lief by Boudie Rijkschroeff and Georgine Kwa, musical performances and a mini-symposium.

More information about the programme will follow shortly on this page.

Location: Migration Museum, Hoge Zand 42