A Little Memory of The Beginning

The project "A Little Memory of The Beginning” (2022-2026) started with a picture of my grandmother, which was used to apply for Dutch citizenship in Indonesia in 1947. The title refers to a note she wrote on the back: A Little Memory of “The Beginning”.

Firstly, this sentence refers to her personal experience at the time. It makes me wonder to what extent she was aware of what kind of beginning was starting? Secondly, the title also has a literal meaning, because there is very little knowledge about this specific period in the life of my grandparents. Based on what I do know, from family members and collective history, I think you could say that my grandfather was both oppressed, as well as part of the oppression. He fought against the Japanese occupation in Indonesia (1942-1943) as part of the Dutch army (KNIL) and was held hostage in a camp (1943-1945) where he had to work on the Burma Railway. Afterwards (1946-1947) he had to serve the KNIL again, fighting the Indonesian revolution, during which approximately 100.000 Indonesians have been killed.

In 1951, my grandparents, together with their three eldest children, including my father, left by boat for the Netherlands. They wanted to integrate as quickly and as well as they could. Throughout their lifetime, my grandparents never shared much about this period in their lives, but it has left its mark on my father's upbringing, and therefore also on me.

Within this project I reflect on my Dutch-Indonesian heritage. Through archival material, photography, video, drawing and text I try to trace fragmented family histories across time and geography. Through artistic research and embodied practices, I’m trying to find new rituals to engage with inherited memory and the stories that remain unspoken.