Writing Moluccan History in Your Own Words

Fenix and Museum Maluku invite the Moluccan community in Rotterdam to come together to document their history at Fenix. Using never-before-seen historical photos from Museum Maluku’s archive and collection, covering the Moluccan community in Rotterdam and the surrounding area, multiple generations will engage in conversations in a safe and informal setting to preserve lesser-known Moluccan stories for future generations. From images of the residential camps in Schattenberg and Vught to the 1960s protests at Scheveningen and the Binnenhof.

Who or what appears in these images, where were they taken, and what personal and collective stories lie behind them? Themes such as growing up, education, work, religion, music, food, and daily life guide the conversations.

Special Guests

Two leading artists whose work is featured in the Fenix exhibition All Directions will also be present: Ben Manusama and Lucas Silawanebessy. This afternoon, we speak with them, together with artist Yda Sinay, about how Dutch-Moluccan history takes shape and is passed on.

All stories will be collected and preserved by Museum Maluku. The exhibition In Your Own Words: Writing Our Moluccan History is on view at Museum Maluku from 21 March to 26 September.

Museum Maluku is a community museum connecting the Moluccan past, present, and future. It manages collections and archives, develops programmes, and initiates projects in close collaboration with and for the community. Both physically and online, Museum Maluku serves as a meeting place where visitors can explore Moluccan perspectives on history and current events.