The outdoor exhibition ‘Samangat! Moluccans in Amsterdam’ opens today on Kop van Java Island

30 July to 22 October 2026 | Venue: Kop van Java Island, Amsterdam | Free admission

As of today, the outdoor exhibition *Samangat! Moluccans in Amsterdam* is officially open to the public. Through this initiative, the Amsterdam Museum and the National Slavery Museum, in collaboration with the City of Amsterdam, are bringing the stories of Amsterdam’s Moluccans into the public space. To mark the commemorative year ‘75 years of Moluccans in Amsterdam’, the museums are transforming the Kop van Java island into a unique place for people to meet and come together.

Outdoor exhibition ‘Samangat! Moluccans in Amsterdam’ on Kop van Java Island
Amsterdam Museum

A contemporary neighbourhood on the quay. The outdoor exhibition consists of 16 photographic portraits, taken by the Dutch-Moluccan photographer Eva van Kesteren. Guest curator and art historian Huib Akihary interviewed the Amsterdam-based Moluccans featured in the portraits about their lives in the city and their family histories. Van Kesteren photographed them in their own surroundings and, with these images on the quay at Kop van Java—a place of encounter where passers-by can discover the stories of four generations of Moluccan Amsterdammers, full of resilience, hope and pride. 

A shared colonial history

Through these personal stories, visitors are taken on a journey through a history that has linked the Moluccas and Amsterdam for more than four centuries. This year marks the anniversary of the event that took place exactly 75 years ago, when Moluccan KNIL soldiers and their families were forced to come to the Netherlands in 1951. 
Particularly in light of the government’s recent apology to the Moluccan community, the question of how this past continues to have an impact is more relevant than ever. The exhibition illustrates how this colonial history continues to be felt within families and communities to this day, but above all highlights the presence of contemporary Moluccan Amsterdammers who are helping to shape the city and its culture. 
 
The location of the exhibition is particularly significant: the northern tip of Java is the future site of the National Slavery Museum. Within walking distance of the outdoor exhibition, Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam is also hosting a free presentation on the successful Moluccan footballers Janny Timisela and Rocky Hehakaija, curated by the National Slavery Museum.

Outdoor exhibition ‘Samangat! Moluccans in Amsterdam’ on Kop van Java Island
Amsterdam Museum

About the Amsterdam Museum

The Amsterdam Museum is a city museum that has been connecting residents and visitors with the city and with one another since 1926. Drawing on Amsterdam’s status as a ‘miniature metropolis’, we collect and present objects and stories that shed light on the city’s past, present and future. 

The collection comprises more than 100,000 objects and spans over 750 years of Amsterdam’s history, art and heritage. The Amsterdam Museum works with a wide range of partners across the city to develop exhibitions, public programmes and other projects at various locations in Amsterdam. 

The Amsterdam Museum is open daily at two permanent locations: Huis Willet-Holthuysen on the Herengracht and Amsterdam in Motion in Westergas Culture Park. In the 17th-century canal-side house Huis Willet-Holthuysen, visitors can discover both historical heritage and contemporary art. At Amsterdam in Motion, the world’s largest multimedia city model takes centre stage in a multifaceted narrative about Amsterdam and its people. Meanwhile, the main site on Kalverstraat is being renovated, in close collaboration with the City of Amsterdam, to become the city museum of the future.