BACK TO THE ROOTS — MALUKU

The story behind this project

I was born in Manado, on the island of North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and grew up in the Netherlands. Despite having many Moluccan friends and people close to me, I knew very little about why so many Moluccans came to the Netherlands and the history behind it. Growing up, I often heard stories about the past, but I never fully understood how everything was connected. That curiosity inspired me to learn more about their history, culture and identity.

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Looking beyond the stereotypes

When people think about the Moluccan people, many still think of the train hijackings or hear words like kaping or Satu Darah. But behind those stereotypes is a much bigger story. A story that many people don't know, or have simply never been taught. I wanted to look beyond those first impressions and understand the people behind the history.

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Different generations, different perspectives

For this project, I interviewed people from four different generations within the Moluccan community. Each person shared their own memories, experiences and perspective on the past. Alongside the portraits, I recorded their personal stories. Visitors could listen to these audio recordings while looking at the photographs, creating a more personal connection with every story.

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Bringing the story to life

The project became a multimedia exhibition combining photography, storytelling and audio. My goal wasn't just to show portraits, but to create understanding and encourage people to look beyond the stereotypes. Although this project focused on the Moluccan community, it also inspired me to learn more about my own Indonesian roots and identity. Above all, it showed me how powerful stories can be when people are given the space to share their story.