Dossier Indië

A different look at colonial photography

In Dossier Indië the World Museum delves into the history of Indonesia under colonialism

The earliest photographs depict an idealised image of a glorious Dutch East Indies. The exhibition shows how 19^th century photographers shaped a mythical image of the colonies. But in the late 19^th century and in the 20^th century, the photographs gradually change in character to lay bare a more accurate picture of the relations in colonial society. The perspective shifts from the Dutch colonials to the colonized Indonesian people.

Alongside these photographs, the exhibition also explores the themes of economic exploitation and the colonial war. As part of Dossier Indië the Rotterdam-based photographer Stacii Samidin photographed the series Merdeka!

Visit Rotterdam’s LantarenVenster cinema for feature films and documentaries about Indonesia under colonial rule by Dutch and Indonesian filmmakers from then and now.