The Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam opened The Great Indonesia Exhibition in October 2023.
The Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam opened The Great Indonesia Exhibition in October 2023. This gives an impression of the long and eventful history, the rich culture of the country and its residents. With attention to known and unknown facets. We spoke with Marlies Kleiterp, head of exhibitions at De Nieuwe Kerk. “We tell the broad story that is still underexposed in Dutch school textbooks.”
1. What reactions to the exhibition so far have stuck with you?
“I thought the visit of the president’s daughter Kartika Soekarno to the exhibition was very special. She gave a nice compliment: ‘A step forward for the Netherlands and the new generation.’ We are very proud of that. We also see that the exhibition has a lot of impact on the public. Of course you hope so when you make something like this. At the end we have set up a space where visitors can leave a message. I read the notes regularly. They are personal, meaningful stories that touch you. I would like to share one: ‘My father was born in Sumatra in 1924. He remained there until he was eight years old. He never wanted to go back and said little about his time there. The exhibition makes me understand why even better.”
2. What is your favorite part of the exhibition?
“My heart really beats faster when I walk through the themes of Ancient Kingdoms and Ancestor Cultures. Not only because of the beautiful art, the gold jewelry or the special fabrics, but also because of the personal stories. They are stories that matter. About traditions, rituals, cultures and history. These are important to better understand the rest of history.”
3. What do you hope will stick with people?
“We want to ensure that Indonesia gets the attention it deserves. We tell the broad story that is still underexposed in Dutch school textbooks. The exhibition is therefore a kind of history lesson that many of us have never had. For some it will be a first meeting, for others it may be full of recognition and bring back (family) memories. We hope to make a modest contribution by making people think. We aim to stimulate dialogue and conversation.”
4. What challenges did you encounter when setting up?
“An exhibition of this magnitude takes up to three years to prepare. We have worked with numerous individuals, organizations, museums, experts, writers and experts from Indonesia and the Indonesian community in the Netherlands. More than a hundred! From the moment the idea for this exhibition arose, we said it had to be a polyphonic story. It was fantastic, but certainly also challenging, to manage such a large collaborative project.”
5. What is your favorite moment at a new exhibition?
“For me, the construction phase is very special for every exhibition. We have been looking at (technical) design drawings for months – or sometimes years – but once an exhibition is actually built and the rooms are furnished, all those sketches and drawings become reality. I feel really proud that we succeeded! In the case of the Indonesia exhibition, it turned out even more beautiful than I ever imagined.”
The Great Indonesia Exhibition can be seen in De Nieuw Kerk until April 1, 2024.
