Threads of the history of slavery in the Netherlands

• Date: 04 June - 05 June
• Location: Atrium Den Haag

At the invitation of the Municipality of The Hague, a tapestry measuring 35 x 2.5 meters, symbolizing the history of slavery in the Netherlands, will be on display in the Atrium Den Haag from May 6 to June 5. The Netherlands issued official apologies for its history of slavery in December 2022 and on July 1 of this year. Throughout the Kingdom, special attention was paid to the theme of the Dutch history of slavery from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024. During the commemoration year, reflection was paid to this very painful, important, and until recently underexposed aspect of our shared history. In this context, Ricardo Burgzorg of the Villa Maecenatis Foundation has developed a plan to realize a monumental tapestry in eleven provinces during the period 2024–2027—designed by an artist or designer and crafted by local residents. Each tapestry depicts the specific provincial history in relation to the history of slavery. South Holland Tapestry

Since February 2025, workshops throughout South Holland have collaborated on a remarkable monumental tapestry, 35 x 2.5 meters, inspired by stained glass, designed by Marcos Kueh. Residents of the province of South Holland were invited to participate in the creation of this tapestry. The production locations were in Delft, The Hague, Gouda, Leiden, Rotterdam, and Dordrecht.

The history of slavery in South Holland’s 

That South Holland played a major role in slavery is not a question, but a fact. The province played a significant role in many ways and at many levels in the colonization of countries in the Atlantic region and the slave trade. Indeed, the region of Holland held a key European position regarding this trade and the trade in goods grown on plantations in the colonies. Politically, too, the States of Holland played an important role both within the Netherlands and abroad. Representatives of Holland, for example, were the primary advocates for financial support for military actions aimed at combating slave uprisings. They went to great lengths to defend the plantation colonies. Colonial administrators were trained at educational institutions in Leiden and Delft for decades.

Provincial city administrators were involved in the founding of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the Dutch West India Company (WIC). Through Delft, The Hague invested a great deal of money in the WIC. Other cities also had connections with the colonies in various ways. Sometimes through trade and the establishment of plantations, but also through the processing of colonial goods, such as the Dordrecht sugar industry or the textile industry in Leiden. Colonial trade enhanced the status and wealth of elite city dwellers who used the profits from the plantations to build large country houses and gardens and invested their money in various collections. Provincial museums are largely indebted to this and have, in recent years, also conducted research into their origins and the provenance of objects in light of the history of slavery.

After the abolition of slavery in 1863, slave owners received financial compensation. Moreover, slavery in Suriname was followed by the organization of mass migration and forced labor of contract migrants from Asia. This was accompanied by racial prejudice and an economic interest that outweighed human well-being.

Design Marcos Kueh
Marcos Kueh (Sarawak, 1995) is a textile artist with a background in graphic design and advertising. His practice revolves primarily around the use of textiles as a means to visualize everyday stories that he finds meaningful—just as the ancestors of Borneo did with their dreams and legends, before the arrival of written alphabets from the West. In many of his artistic research projects, he explores the spectacle of how his country is perceived—from colonial descriptions in anthropological museums around the world, to marketing copy in tourism advertisements, versus his own experiences as a man from a small town on Borneo. These perspectives form the fundamental worldview of how he participates in and contributes to discussions.

For the design of the South Holland tapestry, Marcos Kueh drew visual inspiration from stained-glass windows in churches. After all, Christianity is the religion par excellence that is closely linked to Western colonial expansion.

The story of this tapestry begins on the sides with the history of slavery and ends in the center with hope and dreams for the future. On the far left, the image *Homage to the Colonies* can be seen, as also found on the Golden Coach. Here, the ideologies of the past that brought injustice and inequality to both the Caribbean and the Dutch East Indies become visible. Additionally, Leiden University and the Mauritshuis are depicted. These institutions symbolize the changing knowledge and insights regarding the history of slavery. The enslaved Africans depicted on the left side of the tapestry represent the abuse of human labor in the colonial era.

On the right side of the tapestry, enslaved people from Southeast Asia are depicted. They are carrying goods to a Dutch ship, such as those used by the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company (fully the Chartered West India Company) for the exploitation of the colonies. Additionally, the East India House in Delft and the VOC port in Rotterdam are visible, buildings that symbolize the often dishonestly acquired wealth that forms the basis of the historical, violently obtained prosperity of the Netherlands.

Both groups of enslaved people are moving towards the center of the tapestry. They are framed by the symbols of Keti Koti, the day on which the abolition of slavery in 1863 is commemorated in Suriname. The center of the tapestry forms a parody of the image on the other side of the Golden Coach. Instead of Lady Holland in the center, two enslaved people are depicted here shaking hands in a gesture of equality. Surrounding this are the descendants of enslaved people, enjoying their free time instead of serving or suffering under inequality. At the top and bottom of the tapestry is a quote from *The Wretched of the Earth* by the French-Martinican psychiatrist and philosopher Frantz Fanon (1925–1961), one of the first to publish on the psychological consequences of colonialism for both perpetrators and victims. The quote is an indictment of European prosperity, which was obtained ‘on the backs of the enslaved’.

Realization of the tapestry
Textile artist Caroline Grootenboer transformed Marcos Kueh’s design into the tapestry as it is today. Caroline has years of experience as an artist, specializing in textile techniques that are reflected in her artworks ‘Changeable Art’.

Caroline Grootenboer provided substantive and practical guidance during the creation process of the tapestry. Under her inspiring leadership, 600 volunteers—mostly women, with varying levels of experience—worked on the tapestry at various locations. It was therefore important that Caroline knows how to share her knowledge and experience with others.

Marcos Kueh’s design offered a great opportunity for this, as it consists of many small panels. Caroline outlined the main structure, but within that framework, the volunteers were given a great deal of freedom to fill in those panels themselves. Several regular supervisors were able to direct large groups of volunteers based on Caroline’s plan to realize their part of the tapestry. As a result, they also gained knowledge of the techniques applied in the tapestry: felting, quilting, embroidery, punching, and tufting.

The volunteers also brought their own experiences with textile techniques, as well as their unique stories. For instance, a woman, a descendant of the Banda Islands, developed her own design in the first part of the tapestry. She experienced the process as healing. Additionally, fabrics and colors from ancestors were passed down and incorporated. Consequently, the tapestry consists of layered structures, and the personal interpretation gives the story an even deeper emotional meaning. This is palpable in the tapestry. The people who come to view the tapestry thus not only gain intellectual knowledge of this dark chapter in our history, but they can also feel it. Monumental tapestry added to Kunstmuseum Den Haag collection

“It is an honor that this work will be displayed, preserved, and cared for in the Kunstmuseum’s collection. The tapestry as a place of gathering: of details, symbolism, and diverse textile techniques, but above all of the many who created this together. That collective creation and sharing of meaning is what we, as a museum, wish to cherish and pass on.” – Margriet Schavemaker, General Director Kunstmuseum Den Haag

Made possible by:

Project partners
Afimo, The Hague Library, Gouda Library, Canidream, Committee 30 June – 1 July The Hague, Committee 30 June – 1 July Leiden, Cultural Educational Center Dordrecht, DelftsPeil, De Nieuwe Regentes, Dijkxhoorn Bouwgroep, Erfgoedhuis Zuid-Holland, Grote or Sint Laurenskerk, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Museum De Lakenhal, Museum Prinsenhof Delft, NEST, Oude en Nieuwe Kerk Delft, PEP Den Haag, ROC Mondriaan, Foundation Shared Past Shared Future, Grote or Sint-Jacobskerk Foundation, Stroom Den Haag, Leiden University, Urban Chicks With Brains, Wereldmuseum Leiden.

Funds
Fonds 1818, Fonds 21, Fund for Cultural Participation, Municipality of The Hague, Municipality of Delft, Het Cultuurfonds, VSBfonds, VriendenLoterij Fonds. The project Threads of Our Dutch Slavery Past is organized by Stichting Villa Maecenatis and is an initiative of Ricardo Burgzorg.

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