Tropenmuseum plans permanent exhibit on Dutch colonial history

From June 9, the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam will present a new permanent exhibition about the Dutch colonial past and its impact on today's world. The exhibit, titled Our Colonial Legacy, contains about 500 objects and art pieces from the colonial area, supplemented with new, contemporary art.

The Dutch colonial past in Suriname, the Caribbean, and Indonesia is the center of the exhibit, as is the effect of that past on contemporary life in those areas. This includes negative effects of colonial history, like inequality, racism, exclusion, and exploitation. But attention is also paid to the diverse society, culture, a shared kitchen, language, and music.

The museum wants to "contribute to awareness of the structures and relationships" introduced with colonialism with the exhibition. "By showing how colonial history is an imperfect past, the Tropenmuseum wants to contribute to the debates in society and a more just society," according to the Amsterdam museum.

Last year, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam had its first exhibition on slavery in colonial times, from the 17th to 19th century. Tickets sold out quickly, and nearly 80,000 people visited the exhibition. Millions of people also looked at the exhibition online.