Oud Zeer

• Date: 05 August - 26 August
• Location: Atrium City Hall

Old Wounds is an initiative of the Open Mind Foundation and the Burma-Siam Railway and Pakan Baroe Railway Commemoration Foundation (SHBSS), in collaboration with a diverse group of Dutch Indonesians, Dutch nationals (Totoks), Moluccans, Chinese from Indonesia (Peranakans), Indo-Africans, and Papuans.

The traveling indoor and outdoor exhibition Old Wounds presents personal stories of people with roots in the Dutch East Indies/Indonesia. Through portraits and family stories, it reveals how war, migration, identity, and intergenerational impact continue to play a role in the lives of many Dutch people.

In doing so, we reflect on a shared history that stretches back centuries. What once began as trade between the Netherlands and Indonesia evolved into a system of domination and exploitation. In 1816, the Dutch East Indies officially became a colony. During World War II, the Japanese occupation followed, and shortly thereafter, from 1945 to 1949, a violent war of decolonization. These periods left deep scars on both sides.

Between 1945 and 1968, more than 300,000 people left the Dutch East Indies and Indonesia for the Netherlands: Dutch Indonesians, Dutch (Totoks), Moluccans, Chinese from Indonesia (Peranakan), Indo-Africans, and Papuans. Many were forced to leave their homes, carrying the consequences of war and uprooting with them, and arrived in a country that often felt cold and unfamiliar.

Their stories have long been overlooked.

For Old Wounds, family members came together to discuss their shared history. The exhibition highlights not only pain and intergenerational impact, but also resilience, identity, connection, and the power of inherited heritage.

From 15 August 2025, the Oud Zeer exhibition is travelling throughout the Netherlands.

Exhibitions in The Hague

Outdoor Exhibition Old Wounds

• July 15 – August 21, 2026 Lange Vijverberg

Indoor exhibition Old Wounds

• August 5 – 26, 2026: Atrium City Hall

• August 26 – September 11, 2026: Cultuuranker Bibliotheek Leidschenveen-Ypenburg

National Remembrance Day, August 15, 1945: Family Memories
As is tradition, the Grote Kerk in The Hague will hold a commemoration of National Remembrance Day, August 15, 1945. This year, they will do so with dialogues in collaboration with Dialoog in The Hague and a creative workshop titled “Family Memories” led by Shelly Lapre, in collaboration with the Open Mind Foundation and the Burma-Siam Railway and Pakan Baroe Railway Commemoration Foundation (SHBSS).

• Dialogue Tables in collaboration with the Grote Kerk, The Hague

On August 15, individuals from Old Wounds will serve as moderators and participants at dialogue tables. Visitors will engage with them in conversation about family history, identity, resilience, and the impact of the colonial past on the present.

• Family Memories Workshop

Artist Shelly Lapré will lead a creative workshop in which participants are invited to explore and document their family stories, memories, and heritage in a personal and artistic way.

For more information, go to grote-kerk.nl.

Roundtable Discussion During the Jalan Jalan Festival

The Jalan Jalan Festival will take place for the first time in 2026 at various locations throughout The Hague. Jalan Pedis on Lange Voorhout is the festival’s central venue, hosting a contemporary culinary and cultural festival that brings Indonesian and Moluccan heritage to life through flavor, music, and creativity. Spicy, multifaceted, and made for today.

During the Jalan Jalan Festival, in addition to the exhibitions and programming, Old Wounds is organizing a dialogue table on August 15 at the Grote Kerk and from August 21 through 23 at Jalan Pedis on Lange Voorhout, where visitors and stakeholders can engage in conversation about shared history, memory, identity, and intergenerational connection.

For more information, visit jalanjalanfestival.nl.

Credits Old Wounds

Old Wounds is a collaboration between Open Mind Foundation and Burma-Siam Railway Commemoration Foundation (SHBSS), with support from various partners: the Foundation for the Commemoration of Victims of Japanese Sea Transports (SHSJZ), National Commemoration of augustus 15, 1945 and the National Committee May 4 and 5.

Image: Andy Tan | Text: Simone Berger-Straakenbroek | Collages: Zefanya Anindjola | Styling: Richard Schreefel

For more information about Ould Wounds, visit stichtingopenmind.nl/oud-zeer.

Show on map