‘Beyond unsettled past’: Revisiting Indonesia’s colonial legacies

JAKARTA, Indonesia (MNTV) –  A new exhibition in Jakarta is challenging viewers to confront Indonesia’s colonial scars—not through textbooks, but through powerful works of art. Titled Beyond Unsettled Past, the exhibit at the Dutch cultural center Erasmus Huis directly engages with the unresolved traumas of Dutch colonialism, spotlighting its lasting impact on Indonesian society.

Running until November 1, the exhibition gathers contemporary pieces from artists grappling with themes of memory, loss, identity, and historical justice. Organizers say it aims to provoke critical reflection on a shared but deeply unequal past that continues to shape the present.

“The legacy of colonialism is not confined to history books,” said Nicolaas de Regt, director of Erasmus Huis. “It lives in landscapes, institutions, language, power, identity and memories.

“For some people, it’s a painful one,” he continued. “For others, [it’s] a responsibility. But I think, for all, it’s unfinished.”

The idea began when De Regt visited “Imprints”, a 2024 exhibition at the Wereldmuseum in Amsterdam. Back in Jakarta, he partnered with historian and curator Sadiah Boonstra and assistant curator Sukiato Khurniawan to craft a similar project from an entirely Indonesian perspective.

They brought together six artists, Arahmaiani, Budi Agung Kuswara, Dita Gambiro, Eldwin Pradipta, Elia Nurvista and Maharani Mancanagara, to present works that reflect the lasting imprints of colonialism on Indonesian society.

The exhibition opens with “Long Hanging Fruits” (2023), an installation by Elia Nurvista. Miniature oil palm trees sprout from a tiered platform, each revealing a pair of booted feet at the roots, a haunting nod to the exploited labor that sustained this industry.

Dita Gambiro and Eldwin Pradipto examine the racial segregation enforced by the Dutch colonial government beginning in 1740. This policy significantly shaped the physical layout and social fabric of many Indonesian cities, a legacy that remains visible today.

Eldwin’s video installation “Wijkenstelsel” (2017) overlays a montage of global Chinatown imagery onto an archival map of 19th-century Bandung’s Chinatown, printed on faux leather and sourced from Leiden.

“During the colonial era, people were separated by ethnicity and not allowed to leave their designated areas,” Eldwin said. “As the population grew, these neighborhoods became overcrowded and riddled with crime and disease. But now, Chinatowns are celebrated as tourist and culinary hubs.”

He explained that segregation had long fostered prejudice, often fueling racial violence.

“It may be necessary to dig into the past in order to mend the present and shape a more inclusive future,” Eldwin said. “Chinese-Indonesians are also part of Indonesia.”

Abimanyu, a visitor from Bandung, West Java, praised the installation. “It’s visually interesting and educational,” he said. “Many people don’t realize that the Chinese were made to seem exclusive on purpose. According to a book I read, the Dutch deliberately gave them unpopular roles, as in tax collecting and opium selling, to redirect public resentment away from the colonial rulers.”

On the adjoining wall, Maharani Mancanagara presents “Allegory of Cornucopia” (2023), an acrylic painting on wood crafted to resemble a bas-relief. Drawing from Indonesia’s sculptural traditions, the work celebrates natural abundance and daily life, a quiet contrast to European bas-reliefs, which often glorify war and conquest. “It’s their way of deciding who the hero is,” said Sukiato.