Museum exhibition aims to shine new light on Dutch Chinese people

The Sound and Vision Museum in The Hague will open Tuesday on the day the Chinese herald in their new year the exhibition A Sea of Happiness. In doing so, the museum wants to paint a picture of "inspiring Chinese Dutch people that transcends the clichés."

According to the museum, Chinese people coming not only from China but also from England, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Suriname have been part of Dutch society for more than a century, but they are still not well represented. "The Chin. Ind. Rest. has been officially declared intangible heritage, but what else do we know about these Dutch people?" The exhibition A Sea of Happines portrays the history and life of families from The Hague, such as Chang, Lau and Go, including photos from their own collections.

Fragments from Dutch television history were also shown, which according to the museum, show how Chinese Dutch were (and are) portrayed in the media. It examines the differences between the image from the outside and from within. Artist Sarah Wong made a video artwork in which she examines her own Sino-Dutch identity compared to the picture that emerges from the media archive.

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the Sound and Vision Museum in The Hague, the Meer dan Babi Pangang Foundation the historical house Belvédère. It is made possible in part by the VSB Fund. The exhibition will be open to the public from February 2 to April 24.