Dear readers,
I am Huib Akihary from Rotterdam, 62 years old, son of Piet (1932-2012) and Lies Akihary, grandson of Opa Betus Akihary (1908-2000) and Jacobina Akihary-Nahumury (1910-1982). Anak Aboru, in other words.
I graduated in art and architectural history in 1986. Art, architecture, history and culture are of particular interest to me. As a freelance art historian I carry out research, produce publications and give lectures and workshops in the Netherlands and Indonesia. I also create exhibitions commissioned by museums in the Netherlands, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. In the 1990s I was involved with the MHM and carried out research into the Moluccan camps. From 2009 to 2011 I was briefly director of Museum Maluku in Utrecht. Since 2012 I have concerned myself chiefly with heritage in the Netherlands and Indonesia.
In recent years I have been actively involved in various initiatives, such as Moluccan Day at the Kwaku Summer Festival in Amsterdam, the Rhythm of Maluku foundation and the Moluccan Future Foundation.
Building and managing
As curator at the MHM I am responsible for building and managing the museum collection. At the MHM that collection consists of a number of parts: cultural-historical objects, a photographic archive, audiovisual material, archives, a database and an extensive library with books, periodicals, press cuttings and brochures.
One of my tasks as curator is to open up the collection by documenting it well, by giving lectures and by writing about Moluccan history and culture on the basis of objects from the collection.
I am also responsible for the content of the permanent exhibition and the temporary exhibitions. At the MHM, a temporary exhibition and the permanent exhibition are planned for 2021. Their composition and content are decided in close consultation with the MHM board and with director Henry Timisela.
Plans
The spaces in Sophiahof are limited and so, for now, is our budget. It will therefore be an extra challenge to make the Moluccan Memory, or if you prefer the Moluccan Legacy, attractive and accessible and to present it from a new, broader perspective. A perspective that is not only interesting but will hopefully also provoke and invite reflection and deeper engagement. You will be able to follow it closely, and we hope a non-Moluccan audience will too. I have talked a great deal with director Henry Timisela in recent weeks about broadening that perspective towards a wide audience. And about what we will do and how. One thing became very clear in the process. The contribution of the younger Moluccan generations in particular is essential.
Together with director Henry and the board I have every confidence. For now we are working quietly behind the scenes. But hopefully you will be able to visit the museum again soon. Keep following all the updates on the website and on social media. Like us, respond and make yourself heard! And may I ask you to support us?
