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Overview
Exhibition

Bittersweet Heritage: Black in Groningen

Johann Ludwig Hauck, Dance around the liberty tree on the Grote Markt in Groningen, 1795
Johann Ludwig Hauck, Dance around the liberty tree on the Grote Markt in Groningen, 1795
Saturday 19 February 2022 to Sunday 11 September 2022

In the 17th and 18th centuries, rich and powerful people living in and around Groningen were heavily involved in slavery overseas. Some members of prominent families commissioned portraits in which they were portrayed with Black servants. This exhibition will feature historical paintings and sculptures made in Groningen that depict people of colour. The works bear witness to local involvement in the history of slavery. The artist Faisel Saro and the writer Vamba Sherif will contribute their responses to the images.

Objects in the permanent museum collection with links to colonial history will from now on be highlighted.