Sara Blokland, Reproduction of Family, part 2 (2008) Collectie Nederlands Foto Museum. 11 Apr 2017 – 18:00
Lecture: Sara Blokland - Srefidensi and the reproduction of a family history
In March & April 2017, the chair of Dutch-Caribbean Literature (Prof. Dr. Michiel van Kempen) at the University of Amsterdam and Framer Framed will organise a series of open lectures on the influence of colonialism and Dutch imperialism on (the relationship between) literature and visual arts in the former Dutch colonies.
The next lecture in the series will be presented by Sara Blokland, a visual artist, independent researcher and curator of photography. This lecture will be in English. (For a full list of all the lectures, see below.)
Lecture Srefidensi and the reproduction of a family history
Sara Blokland will talk about her art work and the project SrefidensiFoto, photo archives and the role of memory and identity in her work.
The lecture will focus on Blokland’s body work over the past 10 years: the installation series Reproduction of Family, part 1 (2006) up to part 5, due in 2017 . In Reproduction of Family, the artist examines her Surinamese-Dutch roots with an emphasis on post-colonial history and visual representation. The project starts with Reproduction of Family part 1 (2006), which deals with photographic representation within the (post) colonial institution. It ends with the work Mother’s history – a library or language in 2014, about her mother’s jewish-Dutch history. She will also give a preview of the work Reproduction or Family part 5 – the collaboration project.
Inbetween the lecture about her autonomous work, Blokland will intertwine her latest research/curatorial project SrefidensiFoto. This project is a study into the photographic representation of resistance and emancipation of the Surinamese people before and around the independence of Surinam in 1975. Through a general introduction and some case studies, she will take a look at how photography shows (unintentionally) a changing relation to power, and examine photographs that were created to symbolise power and protest. Further she will look at images of demonstrations, and how photography plays a part preserving the voice of protest.
Upcoming lectures in this series
5 April: Rose Mary Allen – The culture of oral history in Curacao
7 April: The work of artists Charl Landvreugd & Patricia Kaersenhout
11 April: Sara Blokland – Srefidensi, photo archives, photo albums, memory & identity
14 April: Paul Faber – Contemporary art in the Caribbean
21 April: Ellen de Vries – Nola Hatterman and contemporary art in Surinam
- Srefidensi - A photographic perspective on the history of Surinam
- Personal website of Sara Blokland
Links
Photography / Caribbean / The living archive / Colonial history /
Agenda
Lecture: Paul Faber - Modern Surinamese Art, 1945-1980
Lecture (in Dutch) on modern Surinamese art, by art historian & publicist Paul Faber.
Lecture: The work of artist Patricia Kaersenhout and artist Charl Landvreugd
Artists Patricia Kaersenhout & Charl Landvreugd will each present a lecture on their artistic practice.
Lecture: Rose Mary Allen - Oral history as autobiography
Lecture by Dr. Rose Mary Allen, on oral history in the context of Curacao.
Lecture: Gábor Pusztai on the work of László Székely
Lecture on the work by artist László Székely, who lived and worked in the former Dutch Indies.
Open lecture series: Influence of colonialism on artistic expressions in former Dutch colonies
March/April 2017.
Network
Sara Blokland
Artist, Curator and Researcher
Magazine
Photography / Shared Heritage / Colonial history /
Indonesia /
Report: Lecture by Gábor Pusztai on the work of László Székely
Indonesia / Colonial history /
Report: What is modern Indonesian art?
Museology / Shared Heritage / Indonesia /