A traveling version of the major exhibition on slavery and the Dutch ‘Golden Age’ that was shown at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will now be presented at UN headquarters in New York from late February to the end of March.
The exhibit, titled “Slavery: Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery,” was a major awareness-raising event in the Netherlands’ recent assessment of the role slavery played in the country’s prosperity and colonial system. It features ten objects from the Museum’s collection each acting as centerpiece for one of the stories.
At the UN, there will also be a program of speakers, and a showing of a film, ‘New Light,’ about the making of the exhibition. After its appearance at the UN, the traveling version will go to Dutch embassies and UN offices around the world.
The Dutch re-examination of slavery has had a bumpy road in its execution. An apology offered in December by Prime Minister Mark Rutte was criticized for not waiting until July, which will be the 150th anniversary of the 1873 abolition of slavery in Dutch colonies. King Willem-Alexander is expected to make a formal apology on that date.
Image: Foot shackles used for chaining enslaved people at night. Photo: Rijksmuseum
