18 Sep 2021
A small delegation of INS trustees recently visited the photo exhibition ‘I love Banda’ in the Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam. The Banda Islands are inextricably linked to the maritime and colonial presence of the Netherlands in the Indonesian archipelago since 1621, which since 1946 changed into a relationship between Indonesia and the Netherlands, nowadays a history of 400 years. From the perspective of how the far past affects the present and future of the younger generation on the Banda Islands, Isabelle Boon, a renowned Dutch photographer, photographed the young people of the islands. In appealing images she depicts the daily life, the hopes and aspirations of six young people: Mega Vani, Karis, Ulfa, Ode, Nabila and Nyellow. Their personal narratives touch the hearts of the visitors, eliciting spontaneous reactions, inviting to dialogue. The exhibition is to be visited until 7 November 2021 In the Scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam.
In a series of four mini-lectures Isabelle explains how the photo series and her photo book came about. Particularly the third college https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a827lsPNmJw shows us why the six youngsters from Banda got her main interest.
The Westfries Museum in Hoorn, shows the history of Banda in an online exhibition ‘Pala – Nutmeg Tales of Banda’ https://pala.wfm.nl/banda/?lang=en with a video interview included with Bondan Kanumoyoso, a historian at the University of Indonesia. He describes how the Indonesian historiography (and population) relates to the massacre in 1621. Reflecting on the statue of Jan Pieterszoon Coen in Hoorn he appeals for cooperation. https://pala.wfm.nl/1621-2/?lang=en