'My master, please accept my plea,' writes a freed black woman, Dédé, in 1795 from Suriname to her former master Engelbert Kelderman from Vianen. This letter, which never reached its destination and was only discovered in 1980 in the National Archives in London, is the basis of a remarkable story. It is the inspiration for the historical novel ‘The Supplication’ (2020) by Lianne Damen and the exhibition in Vianen.
The central theme of the exhibition and its public program is 'healing': how to deal with the legacy of slavery so that it no longer dictates your life. This will be explored artistically, but there is also space for discussion and reflection.
The exhibition focuses on the Maroon culture in Suriname, descendants of enslaved people who managed to escape slavery and resisted the plantation owners, through the works of Marcel Pinas and Isan Corinde.
There is an extensive educational program that can be followed and utilized via the website. The public program was developed in close collaboration with the National Slavery Museum, which will be built on Java Island in Amsterdam. The exhibition will be displayed in four locations in Vianen. The main exhibition will be at the Stedelijk Museum, with satellite exhibitions in the Vrije Lekpoort, the library, and the Grote Kerk in Vianen.
Location: Stedelijk Museum Vianen
Address: Voorstraat 97, 4132 AP Vianen, The Netherlands
Dates: June 23 - November 24
