Some photographs are more than a snapshot. They work as time capsules in which clothing, body language, music, places and a sense of community come together. A single image can take a whole generation back to a specific time: to station squares, neighbourhood parties, late-night chat sessions on MSN, R&B evenings, protests, friendships and the way young people made themselves visible in the 1990s.
During this evening we will talk together about how such images become part of a collective memory. About how memories are not only personal, but are also shared within a community. Because as soon as old photographs are looked at together, something remarkable happens: stories come back to life. People recognise faces, name forgotten names, remember music, fashion or the atmosphere of one particular night. What at first seems a still image slowly turns into a shared archive of memories.
Tatiana Wenno and Joshua Timisela join us for a conversation about that time and its lasting impact. One focal point is this iconic photograph from the 1990s, taken in front of the former location of Museum Maluku.
In the photograph is Tatiana Wenno: writer, transcultural regression therapist and a powerful voice in conversations about identity, generations and community. Her forthcoming book Het verhaal van jouw DNA opens up a deeper layer of insight into generational transmission, particularly within the Moluccan community. Based on professional knowledge and almost sixty in-depth interviews, the book examines the subtle patterns that work through in our thinking, feeling and acting. It shows how experiences, traumas, strength and identity are carried and passed on across generations.
Tatiana Wenno in front of the former location of Museum Maluku.
As Tatiana describes it herself:
“The 90s were ours! Megafestatie, Utrecht Centraal, bleached clothes, Moluccan scarves, emblems, 90s R&B, PP2G, DLM, TMF chat and nights on end on MSN.”
But this evening is about more than nostalgia alone. It is also a moment to reflect on how a generation made itself visible in public spaces. From station squares to neighbourhood parties. From bomber jackets with emblems to hours-long conversations via MSN or TMF chat. These were moments when community became tangible and identity took on a form of its own.
Particularly within communities where many stories have been passed on orally, images play an important role. They help to record memories, give context to a generation and make recognition possible between young and old. Looking back together therefore becomes more than remembering alone; it becomes a form of coming home.
During this evening we will therefore explore not only what the 1990s were, but also why those memories still stir up so much today. Why certain photographs immediately release emotions. Why people keep looking for themselves, their friends or their family in archive images. And why an archive is in fact never finished.
Visitors will also have room to share their own memories and stories and to see the exhibition In Eigen Woorden. Because it is precisely those personal responses that keep adding new meaning to the collective story.
Were you there? Then this is an evening you do not want to miss.
Tickets are on sale now via this link
