Hidden Connections

Research
Over the last 10 years, the Van Abbemuseum has become increasingly aware of its roots in the tobacco industry. Therefore, the museum started ongoing research into its past. Even though Henri van Abbe was not based in the Dutch East Indies, the tobacco he bought from Deli, on the island of Sumatra, had a big impact on the region and its inhabitants. Why have events on the plantations in Sumatra been kept hidden? And why do we know so little about the different forms of resistance there? This deliberate oppression and denial of the plantation workers and their experiences is still palpable today. Hidden Connections presents new work inspired by this research.

Hidden resistance
The stories of resistance by the contract workers were often not recorded, but only passed on orally. The workers created inventive ways to express their anger, sadness and to warn each other. These stories form the inspiration for the huge drawings in Hidden Connections. One of the illustrations depicts De Slang van Sumatra (‘The snake of Sumatra’). This parable warned workers about a man-eating snake in Deli. After eating its prey, it excreted gold for the Dutch. Another example of resistance is that of improvisation during theatre and wajang performances. With this, the workers not only criticized Western companies, but sometimes also told satirical stories about the plantation owners.

Addition to Delinking and Relinking
Hidden Connections is located in the basement of the Van Abbemuseum. There, the exhibition forms the literal and figurative foundation for the collection display Delinking and Relinking (2021-2026) on the three floors above. The addition of Hidden Connections to this permanent presentation, sheds a new light on the circumstances in which the Van Abbemuseum's art collection was created.