Srefidensi – Suriname vrij! Symbolen van 50 jaar Surinaamse onafhankelijkheid. Grafisch ontwerp door Salome Kazeze Mhango 21 Nov –
11 Jan 2026
Exhibition: Srefidensi – Suriname Vrij! Symbols of 50 Years of Surinamese Independence
Framer Framed presents the exhibition Srefidensi – Suriname Vrij! Symbols of 50 Years of Surinamese Independence, featuring work by artists Sara Blokland & Jaya Pelupessy and Xavier Robles de Medina, curated by Vincent van Velsen. Fifty years ago, on 25 November 1975, Suriname gained independence. The year 1667 marked the beginning of 308 years of colonial rule, during which the Caribbean country on the South American continent came under Dutch rule. The exhibition brings together two projects that focus on prominent symbols of Surinamese Independence: the national flag and the creation of the statue of Surinamese Prime Minister Johan Adolf Pengel.
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Sara Blokland uses photography as a means to reflect on both well-known and lesser-known stories from history that led to Suriname’s independence in 1975. Together with writers, artists and researchers, she analyses articles, stories and photographs that depict the resistance and emancipation of the Surinamese people. An important symbol during that period was the Surinamese flag, which was raised in 1975 not only in Suriname, but also in the Bijlmer neighbourhood of Amsterdam. On 24 November, the day before the official declaration of independence, the flag was already flying in front of the sports hall in Bijlmermeer: in the freezing cold, but to the loud cheers of many. Due to the time difference, the flag could be seen in the Netherlands hours earlier than in Suriname. Using photographs and stories, Blokland researched the history of the Surinamese flag and its meanings, telling the story of the flag as a metaphor, symbol and subject of political discussion and means of protest.
The flag in Paramaribo was raised on the spot where, for 52 years, the larger-than-life granite statue of a young Queen Wilhelmina had stood. The statue was removed a few days before the independence celebrations. This was done at night, so as not to offend the many Surinamese supporters of the House of Orange-Nassau. It was then dragged to the camp of the Dutch troops in Paramaribo, only to be given a new place a year later on the Waterfront near Fort Zeelandia, where it still stands today. The statue of Wilhelmina, the embodiment of colonial power, had to make way for the new symbol of the independent nation state of Suriname.
A year earlier, in 1974, another statue had been erected on what was then Gouvernementsplein, later renamed Onafhankelijkheidsplein: a statue of Johan Adolf Pengel (1916-1970), a leading figure of Surinamese independence. Together with the Hindustani political leader Jagernath Lachmon, he was the founder of the Verbroederingspolitiek (Fraternisation Policy), which was to form the basis for the joint future of all ethnic groups within a single independent Suriname.
The statue was created by Stuart Robles de Medina (1930-2006), who is considered the most important modern Surinamese sculptor. His grandson, Xavier Robles de Medina, uses documentation of the process, recorded in a family album, to provide insight into the artistic creative process, but also into the social climate during the politically turbulent period that led to Suriname’s independence in 1975. The publication Pengel (2024), created by Xavier, is a replica of the family album, in which the creation of the sculpture is accurately documented, supplemented with interviews and conversations with family members involved. The artist’s book describes extensive research into the work of Stuart Robles de Medina and the historical period in which he worked on this bronze sculpture of Surinamese Prime Minister Johan Adolf Pengel in the years leading up to Suriname’s independence.
Fifty years after the first Surinamese flag was raised and the statue of Wilhelmina was removed, it is vital to reflect on this pivotal moment in history. The research of Robles de Medina and Blokland has been brought together by curator Vincent van Velsen in the form of objects, stories and documentation that question and illustrate the symbolism surrounding state formation and the political process of Surinamese independence.
Participating artists
Sara Blokland and Jaya Pelupessy
Xavier Robles de Medina
Curator
Vincent van Velsen
Graphic design
Salome Kazeze Mhango
Location
Framer Framed
Oranje-Vrijstaatkade 71
1093 KS, Amsterdam
Opening
Friday 21 November 2025 at 18:00
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Opening times
21 November 2025 – 11 January 2026
Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00 – 18:00
Framer Framed is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; Amsterdam Fund for the Arts; Municipality of Amsterdam; and VriendenLoterij Fonds.
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Suriname / Photography / Art and Activism /
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Xavier Robles de Medina
Artist
Vincent van Velsen
Art critic and curator
