Plantage aan de gracht: verhalen van mens en macht

The houses along the Herengracht have always been among the most expensive in Amsterdam. Who can afford this kind of grand canal house, and where does the money come from? The wealth of the city of Amsterdam is closely tied to colonial trade and the exploitation of enslaved people on plantations elsewhere in the world. This history also plays a role at the Willet-Holthuysen House.

In Plantation along the Canal, we shed light on the people who profited from the violent plantation system, as well as the lives of the enslaved people trapped within it. Drawing on the archives, the exhibition brings to light the names of people who worked on the Jagtlust plantation. Alongside historical objects, the exhibition also features work by contemporary artist Natasja Kensmil, and a mixed-media installation by the collective Sites of Memory can be seen in the garden. In addition, Dolores Leeuwin guides visitors through the audio tour, exploring the (in)visible and (in)human side of this history. Besides being a program-maker and engaged thinker, she is also a descendant of an enslaved woman from the Jagtlust plantation.