Opening: Lawan!
Friday 12 September, 18:00–21:00. Register here.
Through visual art and cultural archives, the exhibition emphasises the urgent need to acknowledge and remember the decades of oppression and violence faced by the Indonesian and Papuan people – and to resist the ongoing silencing of these histories in dominant regional narratives. It brings together two distinct projects that respond to separate yet interconnected struggles that emerge from the turmoil of the 1960s.
Hidden Faces of Papua by Kevin van Braak and Udeido Collective documents contemporary Papuan issues rooted in the legacies of colonial and imperialist violence against the people and environment of West Papua. West Papua remained under Dutch administration until 1962, with promises made of an independent state. However, in 1963 it was incorporated into Indonesia under pressure from the US, the Netherlands, and the UN. The control over West Papua opened the possibilities for resource extraction by foreign companies, leading to the strong repression of critical Papuan voices by the Indonesian state. The struggle for self-determination and independence is a central part of contemporary West Papuan life.
Remembering and Solidarity-Making: 60 years after 1965 by Watch65 addresses the struggles of Indonesians exiled after the US-backed genocide of 1965, in which nearly one million Indonesians were murdered under the pretext of eliminating the Communist Party. The purge extended far beyond alleged party members, targeting leftist thinkers, unionists, ethnic Chinese communities and progressive social movements. These atrocities were deeply rooted in Cold War geopolitics – a time of intensifying US influence in Southeast Asia – and were enabled by the lingering effects of Dutch colonial rule. The project also draws connections between these histories and ongoing repression in Indonesia today.
Together, these works open up a space to delve into the complexities of the so-called ‘post-colonial’ condition. It challenges us to consider: can we truly speak of the post-colonial if structures of domination remain so deeply embedded?
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This event may be photographed and filmed. Kindly let us know in advance if you prefer not to have your picture taken.
Framer Framed is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; Amsterdam Fund for the Arts; Municipality of Amsterdam; and VriendenLoterij Fonds.