RaRa in the exhibition Past Disquiet (2025) curated by Kristine Khouri and Rasha Salti at Framer Framed, Amsterdam. Photo: © Maarten Nauw / Framer Framed. 10 Apr 2025
19:00 - 21:00
The Revolutionary Anti-Racist Action, Solidarity, Art and the Archive
As part of the exhibition Past Disquiet, artist Pieter Paul Pothoven dives into the history of the Revolutionary Anti-Racist Action (RaRa), an anonymous Dutch collective that fought racism, exploitation and the persistent legacies of the Netherlands’ colonial past. It undertook direct actions against corporations and government institutions to pressure them into changing policies. During the event, Pothoven gives a presentation on RaRa’s resistance and its relation to the anti-apartheid movement in the 1980s.
During their research for Past Disquiet, curators Rasha Salti and Kristine Khouri dove into the history of artistic solidarity within the Netherlands, and particularly in Amsterdam, where many solidarity organisations were based. Many international solidarity movements from the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, such as the anti-apartheid movement, were met with local activism – with the RaRa collective successfully bringing about the shutdown of activities in South Africa by companies including Makro, Steenkolen Handelsvereniging and Forbo.
Artist Pieter Paul Pothoven has launched an elaborate research project on RaRa in collaboration with some of those involved. In addition to creating a series of artworks that document the collective’s story, Pothoven is also creating an archive on RaRa called ARCH04547 at the Institute for Social History in Amsterdam.
“Tonight, we have attacked a part of the Dutch business empire in South Africa. You can’t effect change by endless sessions in Parliament. You have to fight for change by attacking all those economic, political, and military institutions here – in the heart of imperialism – that facilitate the oppression here and elsewhere. Therein lies the communality of our struggle, our only perspective and our unconditional solidarity with the militants in South Africa.
SUPPORT THE REVOLUTION IN SOUTH AFRICA AND CREATE THE FRONT IN EUROPE.”
– script, surveillance counter surveillance, Pieter Paul Pothoven in collaboration with RaRa-activists, 2020
This project is made possible with the financial support of Mondriaan Fonds, AFK, Stichting Niemeijer Fonds en Stichting Stokroos.
The film is in Dutch and the talk is in English. Admission is free.
Do you also think art should be free and accessible? Please consider supporting us with a donation when registering or by becoming a Framer Framed Friend!
This event may be photographed and filmed. Kindly let us know in advance if you prefer not to have your picture taken.
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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