Keti Koti Celebration

This year, for the first time, Vleeshal was part of the Keti Koti Festival festivities in Middelburg. During the market on the Abbey Square (Abdijplein), Vleeshal hosted a stall featuring artworks, promotional materials, and ongoing workshops. Through this participation, Vleeshal underscored the importance of the Keti Koti celebration and the commemoration of the abolition of slavery. Additionally, the work Srefidensi by Sara Blokland was presented to shed light on the enduring impact of colonial history, specifically regarding the struggle for Suriname’s independence in 1975.

In her work, artist and researcher Sara Blokland explored the relationship between photography and (post)colonial cultural history. On display at the market were newspapers resulting from Srefidensi, a research initiative by Blokland and FOTODOK. Together with writers, researchers, and artists, Blokland examined photographs depicting the resistance and emancipation of the Surinamese people. Countless images were distilled into five stories in which photography, resistance, and Suriname played central roles. These included the history of the statue of Queen Wilhelmina in Suriname, the story of the identity of the Surinamese flag, the forgotten resistance of Suriname’s Indigenous population, the protests of Surinamese people in the Netherlands during the 1970s, and the symbolic self-portraits of Surinamese activist Wim Bos Verschuur.

Work by Sara Blokland was on display in the exhibition Vleeshal Collectie On Tour at Vleeshal from July 4 to September 13. Vleeshal celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, in collaboration with Artbase Terneuzen, through this large-scale exhibition project, presenting works from the Vleeshal collection at ten different locations across Zeeland.

Inspired by Sara Blokland’s artwork, a newspaper was created during the market centred on the statement, "Keti Koti is important (to me) because...". Throughout the day, visitors were invited to join the workshop table and contribute texts, drawings, or collages based on the theme. Participation was free, and everyone was welcome.