Amsterdam Museum freely accessible during Keti Koti weekend - 1 and 2 July

''By being open for free, the Amsterdam Museum wants to pay extra attention to Keti Koti during this commemorative year. By opening our doors free of charge for a weekend, we are creating yet another place where people can celebrate and commemorate together. Special occasion is the exhibition 'The Maasdamme Collection', which provides an impressive insight into the history of slavery,'' said Judikje Kiers, director of the Amsterdam Museum.

The life's work of Rita Maasdamme (1944-2016) consists of over 200 handmade fabric dolls depicting colonial history and daily life in Suriname, Curaçao and Aruba. In the exhibition The Maasdamme Collection. Scenes from the colonial past at the Amsterdam Museum aan de Amstel, no fewer than 17 three-dimensional historical scenes featuring over 130 of these creatures, as Maasdamme himself called them, are on display. The dioramas tell visitors about Dutch colonial influences in Suriname, Curaçao and Aruba in a unique way, focusing on the lives of enslaved people, Maroons, and indigenous communities. On the weekend of 1 and 2 July, this exhibition can also be visited free of charge.

Mark Rutte, Prime Minister: ''This is a unique collection. Should never really disappear into storage. Teaches us a lot about our past. This suits comma, not full stop. Thanks to the family and the museum!''

Guestbook exhibition The Maasdamme Collection, 9 March 2023

Guestbook exhibition The Maasdamme Collection, 5 June 2023

Visitors can celebrate and commemorate together at the Amsterdam Museum on the Amstel (Amstel 51, Hermitage building) by participating in various activities. From enjoying a meal together in the garden to crafts.

On 1 July, the Amsterdam Museum, together with the Hermitage Amsterdam, will participate in Free Heri Heri For All. An initiative by KIP Republic to connect the history of slavery's past with the present through free Heri Heri meals. Besides a free meal, free cornstarch and coconut biscuits from Dreamzworld bakery will also be available.

At noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, several (guest) curators, including Rowan Stol, Imara Limon and Dorine Maat, will give entry-level tours of the exhibition The Maasdamme Collection: Scenes from the colonial past and the collection presentation Panorama Amsterdam: A living history of the city. The tours last 45 minutes and are free to attend. Registration is possible at the front desk.

Clay along to the Amsterdam Dinnerware - Saturday, July 1, from 12:00pm

Visitors (adults) picking up a Heri Heri meal on 1 July in the garden of Amstel 51 can also make their own tableware from clay there. The clay soil, which Amsterdammers walk on every day, carries the shared history of the city. Visitors are invited to make bowls, cups and plates from that clay soil, with all the stories it contains. This will create an Amsterdam Servies that can be used by a variety of Amsterdammers on different commemorative days. The Amsterdam Dinner Service is an initiative of the Amsterdam 4 and 5 May Committee in collaboration with Free Heri Heri & Nusantara-Amsterdam.

Children make their own diorama – Sunday 2 July, various times from 12.00pm

On Sunday 2 July at 12 noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, children can make their own diorama just like in the exhibition The Maasdamme Collection. Accompanied by Rita Maasdamme's family and acquaintances, children set to work making a joint viewing box using different materials.

Concert 'Tula Lives!" by singer Izaline Calister – Sunday 2 July, from 15:00 to 17:00

In the courtyard garden, visitors can listen to a concert by singer Izaline Calister, accompanied by a guitarist, Flügelhorn and backup vocals. Together, they will pay tribute to Tula. Tula was leader of the largest revolt against slavery in Curaçao. The Amsterdam Museum is organising this concert in cooperation with the Hermitage Amsterdam.

Visitors can take home the book 'Amsterdam and the history of slavery' free of charge. This book, published by the City of Amsterdam, tells about the role Amsterdam and Amsterdam city administrators played in the global slave trade and slavery, as well as the knock-on effects in our society today. By sharing lessons from the past, Amsterdammers can work towards a shared future. The Amsterdam Museum received 1,000 copies from the municipality to give away to visitors during the Keti Koti weekend.

Also this year, the Kabra Mask from the Amsterdam Museum's collection, made by Boris van Berkum (visual artist) and Marian Markelo (Winti priestess) will be part of the Keti Koti commemoration on 1 July in the Oosterpark. Ever since 2013, the mask has been used by Markelo during her libations. A ritual in which a liquid is poured from a gourd in memory of a deceased person, god or spirit. In the Winti faith, libations are a way of honouring Mama Aisa (Mother Earth) and the ancestors.