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See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

author:The Paper

The Paper's reporter Wu Dong intern Liu Xinyu

In June 2022, an exhibition called "Surinamese Wedding Portraits" opened at the Foam Museum of Photography. The exhibition features more than a hundred wedding photographs, all taken between 1846 and 1954, covering nearly a century of Surinamese history, depicting the migration of Surinamese to the rest of the world under the administration of the Dutch government and the married life of Surinamese during Dutch colonialism. The exhibition will run until September 7, 2022.

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Gaitri Sweeb,© Aldith Hunkar

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Exhibit works

Located on the northeast Atlantic coast of South America, Suriname is the smallest country in South America. Due to long periods of slavery, colonization and exploitation, the country has a small population, but it is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world.

Surinamese often look for new homes elsewhere, such as Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, the Netherlands or North America. The exhibition's photographic reach extends around the world, telling countless love stories that span countries, races and even religions. While these stories don't always go smoothly, most lovers still follow their hearts, and love generally triumphs over the mold of the times. These photographs capture not only moments of personal bonding, but also the resilience of Surinamese living under Dutch colonial rule.

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Exhibit works

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Piare-Parabirsing © Robby Parabirsing

Displacement, forced relocation and resettlement are all common elements in Suriname's colonial history. But the photographs don't talk too much about these sufferings, but rather about human relationships, cultural diversity and solidarity.

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Exhibit works

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Exhibit works

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Exhibit works

The first photographs of the exhibition date back to 1846, just seven years after the advent of daguerreotype photography, an early method of photography that quickly spread throughout Suriname. The bride in this portrait, Maria Louisa de Hart, was once a slave. The last photograph was taken in 1954, the year Suriname introduced internal self-government. The subtle changes in the style of each photograph in the exhibition reflect the fashion trends of the newlyweds photographed in various eras.

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Portraits of Johannes Ellis and Maria Luisa de Hart, 1846

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Exhibit works

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Exhibit works

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Exhibit works

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Exhibit works

Lucia Nankoe, the exhibition's guest curator, had the idea to show the photos together in 2014, and she and her team found some of the descendants of the people in the photographs and spoke to them. Since the publication of books and traveling exhibitions in 2019, the resulting wedding portrait collection has continued to grow steadily, and the project currently has more than 135 photographs and stories behind it, spanning almost a century of Surinamese history. "The power of photo storytelling piqued my interest." Nanko said.

Some stories are written by the descendants of the photo owner, while others are based on dialogue, written information, and historical data. There are many original photographs that have been damaged by the local tropical climate or lost due to the carelessness of the photo owners, as well as many photos that lack context, have scratches and stains, and traces of these historical relics are preserved on the scans on display.

See the exhibition | wedding portraits of the people of Suriname

Photographs on display

Nanko said the portrait exhibition about the Surinamese wedding was intended to leave some legacy for future generations to see a more personalized representation of social history. Each photograph has a deeper meaning, with more information, and the value of this information is subtle and at the same time very precious, it shows in a complex way the influence of Europe and America on Surinamese.

Exhibition time: June 24 to September 7, 2022

Venue: Keizersgracht 609 1017 DS Amsterdam

Editor-in-Charge: Gao Jianping

Proofreader: Shi Gong

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