DichtLicht op het verleden
DECEMBER 17, 2021 TILL MARCH 24, 2022
DichtLicht op het verleden shares personal stories of Groningers about the impact of the slavery past in their (family) lives.
In the Tschumi Pavilion, meaningful words from poems by city poet Myron Hamming are displayed daily from sunset in the light artwork by Lambert Kamps. Four people from Groningen tell Myron Hamming about the influence of colonial history on their (family) lives. Inspired by their stories, he writes four poems. The poems alternate every two weeks.
The fifth (and last) family story in the series is that of the Curaçao family K. On display from 4 to 24 March.
The story of the K. family
Mrs. K., resident of Groningen (1942): “At a certain point, a yellow flower grows out of the Watapana tree. From that truss come beans. When these beans become dry, they fall to the ground, and when they are dry and black, we put them in a can of water. Let's leave that for two weeks. When the water turns black and is well absorbed, put it in a bottle. For example, we made our own ink to write with on Curaçao.
On the island there is a deep knowledge about plants and herbs, which is passed on from generation to generation through stories. I learned it from my mother and she from my grandmother. Herbs were used to cure diseases; many grew in your own garden, and sometimes you shared them with your neighbors.
“My grandmother was Arowak, an indigenous resident of Curaçao. When the enslaved people from Africa were brought to Curaçao, they brought their own knowledge and customs with them, as well as some crops. They exchanged it with the local knowledge of the Arawaks and so new ideas and ways to heal the body arose. Because if everything is taken from you, then only one thing remains: make sure you stay strong and survive. This knowledge of and love for the land and what could grow on it became a way of caring for one another at a time when enslaved people had nothing at all. There was little to no food: people mainly ate funchi (corn flour), because it is so filling that you have the energy to work longer. When you were sick, there was no doctor or access to care. But what was there was the ground. If you worked the island's soil with a lot of effort, patience, and knowledge, you could grow herbs and crops, and use them to recover faster.
Old customs became a means of survival. For example, oregano and lemongrass were used for the flu or a cold. Yerba di mata raton (literally: rat poison) put you on the bed of a sick person to draw their fever away. Yerbe di hole is used when a baby has a lot of mucus. Boil the herbs until soft, stir in half a teaspoon of oil, and let the baby drink it – then all the mucus will disappear. Sopi di kadushi (cactus soup) helps to increase iron content. Five sprigs of yerba di basora pretu, not overcooked, relieve stomach cramps and diarrhea when consumed two to three times a day. Some of these habits we still use today. Others are no longer used because they are reminiscent of the time of slavery.
“After the abolition of slavery, many people lived on their kunuku, a small farm. Children learned from a very young age how to work on the farm. Everyone had their own chickens in the yard, which they slaughtered, cooked, and ate, and the same was true of goats and sheep. Everything was fresh. We used to plant all kinds of things; all kinds of fruits and vegetables grew in the gardens. That idea now also seems to be slowly coming back: people on Curaçao are starting to grow their own food again.
The most important thing is the love for the island, realizing what you have. By working hard, you will reap! Nature gives you the best of herself and you have a responsibility to pass on that same protection to the generations to come.”
Text: Ruby de Vos
LISTEN TO MYRON HAMMING'S POEM HERE (in Dutch only)
DichtLicht
DichtLicht by Lambert Kamps (1974) is an installation that “writes” words with lighting tubes. The lamps slowly slide in and out of closed tubes. Words from Myron Hamming's poems are depicted in this way. Lambert Kamps is an artist and designer in Groningen. He studied fashion and design before entering the art academy in Groningen in 1994. He presents his work in galleries, at trade fairs and during local events. The work is located at the interface of art, architecture and design.
PRELIMINARY RESEARCH MONUMENT SLAVERY HISTORY
DichtLicht op het verleden is the first public expression of a preliminary investigation into how visual art can make the shared history of our slavery past visible in public space. The research focuses specifically on a monument yet to be erected to commemorate Groningen's Trans-Atlantic and Asian slavery past, in a meaningful place in public space. Kunstpunt is carrying out this research on behalf of the Municipality of Groningen and in collaboration with organizations and individuals involved. Kunstpunt and Lambert Kamps have developed the art project DichtLicht on the past to contribute to the collective awareness of this subject.
With this new exhibition, Kunstpunt takes over from the Tschumipaviljoen foundation and curator Marinus de Vries, who have managed the pavilion since 1995.
DichtLicht op het verleden is in line with the cultural manifestation Bitterzoet Erfgoed. From February 18 to September 12, 2022, museums, heritage institutions, cultural and educational organizations from the city and province of Groningen will pay attention to the slavery past in Groningen and its impact on the present.