Decolonial Dialogues
There has been a historical reconstruction of the Dutch East India Company on view in the so-called VOC-zaal (Dutch East India Company room) in the Bushuis since the 1990s. For some time, there has been growing unease among staff and students about the way in which the colonial past of the Netherlands is presented/represented at this location. For that reason, the room has been closed since the summer of 2022 and following a period of reflection, the Faculty Board has decided to fully open the VOC-zaal in 2023 with a new goal: the public programme for the project Decolonial Dialogues@Humanities.
From January 2023 to December 2023, researchers and students from the Faculty of Humanities, together with partner institutions and interested parties, will consider the future of the so-called VOC-zaal and the colonial past of the Bushuis. The aim is to create a safe and inspiring place for dialogues about decolonisation.
Open call art assignments
Decolonial Dialogues@Humanities will give three individual assignments to three artists who want to show existing or new work in and around the VOC-zaal (to be executed in fall 2023).
We are looking for artists who use their work to reflect on themes like:
- The VOC and the history of the Oost-Indisch Huis (East Indian House);
- Decolonisation and diversity;
- Slavery in the East;
- Dutch East India Company (VOC) and Dutch West India Company (WIC);
- Disputed cultural heritage.
The programming may include the following:
- Performances;
- Visual art;
- Media art;
- Installations;
- Sound art;
- Poetry and other forms of written art.
All programming will be curated by the programme team. For that reason, we may make changes, additions, or suggestions in terms of the content before we can accept the proposals.
If you have an idea for an artwork, performance or other artistic contribution, please submit your idea via the application form by 5 May 2023.
If you have an idea that is not yet fully thought out, you can also submit this idea as a proposal. We are happy to help you concretize them. All submissions are welcome, including those from outside the university.
We would like to receive:
- A short personal introduction;
- Description of the existing or new work that you want to present;
- A plan for how you want to exhibit the work, how you want to produce it and what you need to do so.
Financial contribution
In terms of payment of the artists, as well as ‘hanging fees’ and production budgets for new work, the project will follow the Fair Practice Code of the Mondriaan Fund. For more information, please consult this webpage.
Deadline for proposals: 5 May 2023
Practical information
Please note: all programming will be free and open to the public.
Questions?
Open call public programme
The deadline for submitting proposals for the public programme has passed.
The programme team is looking for proposals for the public programme between March 2023 and June 2023.
Do you have an idea for the programming? Have you been occupied with these subjects for some time or are they close to your heart? Submit a proposal via the application form. If you have an idea, but it’s not totally concrete yet, you can also submit that. We will be happy to share our ideas with you. All submissions from anyone within and outside the University are welcome.
The main focus in the public programming will be on themes such as:
- Decolonisation and diversity;
- Slavery in the East;
- Dutch East India Company (VOC) and Dutch West India Company (WIC);
- Colonialism and post-colonialism;
- Disputed cultural heritage, etc.
The programming may include the following:
- Lectures;
- Performances;
- Workshops;
- Film shows;
- Debates.
All programming will be curated by the programme team. For that reason, we may make changes, additions or suggestions in terms of the content before we can accept the submission. We will strive to programme as many ideas as possible. It is therefore possible that we combine certain proposals.
Practical information
There is room for events that take up one half-day (i.e., morning, afternoon or evening). Please note: all programming will be free and open to the public. The project will offer support with the production and content of the programming before, during and after the event. There is a budget for expenses, such as speaker fees, catering, performances, hire, etcetera. Please note: the budget is not all-embracing.
Following submission, the project group will get back to you within a month.