04
Jul
A symposium exploring contemporary issues of migration, identity, and queer representation through the legacy of James Baldwin.
Symposium James Baldwin and the Voices of Resistance
A symposium on James Baldwin and his ideas, in conjunction with the exhibition 'This Morning, This Evening, So Soon - Turkey Saved My Life'. Two panel discussions will delve into and explore Baldwin's ideas and legacy on freedom, exile, strategies for queer communities today, and resistance to racism, both in the Netherlands and in an international context.
Featuring writer and curator Özkan Gölpinar, filmmaker and editor-in-chief of HUMAN Ahmet Polat, performance artist, anti-racism activist, and co-founder of Black Pride Naomie Pieter, Dr. Edward Akintola Hubbard, Dr. Nawal Mustafa, artist Isaiah Lopaz, artist Sai Rodrigues, artist Diana Blok, with a visual contribution by artist Beldan Sezen, and moderated by writer and journalist Chris Keulemans.
With music by Orville Breeveld, and a complimentary meal and stories from the Maroon culture provided by Sisa Events.
Program Highlights
- Visit the exhibition with guided tours by Özkan Gölpinar.
- Panel 1: 'Baldwin in the Arts' with Ahmet Polat, Dr. Edward Akintola Hubbard, and Sai Rodrigues, moderated by Chris Keulemans + Q&A.
- Enjoy Surinamese dishes from the Maroon culture and storytelling by Sisa Events.
- Panel 2: 'Baldwin's Legacy in Queer Communities and Anti-Black Racism Activism Today' with Isaiah Lopaz, Naomie Pieter, Dr. Nawal Mustafa, and Diana Blok, with a visual contribution by Beldan Sezen, moderated by Chris Keulemans + Q&A.
- Musical performance by Orville Breeveld.
This symposium will be conducted in Dutch and English.
Speakers & Contributors
Dr. Edward Akintola Hubbard is an anthropologist, artist, curator, and co-founder of the Amsterdam-based artist collective ‘Darkmatter’. His artistic practice, experimental ethnography, is at the intersection of contemporary art and social anthropology.
Diana Blok grew up in various Latin American countries before settling in Amsterdam in the 1970s. There, her ongoing exploration of identity began. As a self-taught portrait photographer, her work focuses on people for whom gender, cultural identity, and sexual preference are fluid.
Orville Breeveld has worked in the international performing arts world for over twenty-five years. As a guitarist and bandleader, he has toured extensively and collaborated with various orchestras. This afternoon, he will sing, among other songs, 'Unutama beni' by Afro-Turkish singer Esmeray.
Özkan Gölpinar has curated multiple exhibitions focusing on underexposed histories and visual stories from diaspora communities. He was a member of the Council for Culture from 2015 to 2021.
Chris Keulemans is a writer and journalist. He has written for de Volkskrant, Vrij Nederland, and De Groene Amsterdammer, among others. He was also the director of the debate center De Balie and co-founder of the cultural center Tolhuistuin.
Isaiah Lopaz is an artist, writer, and curator from Turtle Island, working in Germany and the Netherlands. His current work uses his family's lineage as a framework to explore the intersections between histories often considered separate, including the history of anti-Black racism, colonialism, and the transatlantic slave trade.
Dr. Nawal Mustafa is an assistant professor of Black Studies, Critical Race Studies, and Indigenous Studies within the Department of Cultural Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Her work examines the intersections of law, colonialism, slavery, and the regulation of intimacy.
Naomie Pieter is a queer and anti-racist activist, performance artist, and choreographer working at the intersection of art, activism, and Afro-spirituality. She is the founder of the Queer Caribbean Dancehall club night and cultural platform Pon Di Pride and Black Pride NL.
Ahmet Polat is known for his deeply human perspective on the world and his talent for creating stories that resonate with diverse layers of society. He combines his 25 years of experience in photography, art, and education in his work across various media, including his current role as editor-in-chief at broadcaster Human.
Sai Rodrigues is a self-taught artist and illustrator. For 'This Morning, This Evening So Soon - Turkey Saved My Life,' he created a graphic novel inspired by the monologues from 'In This Silence' by Özkan Gölpinar, executed in a film-noir aesthetic.
Beldan Sezen is an artist and writer with an M.A. in Political Science. Turkish by ethnicity, German by birth, she resides between the Netherlands and the United States. Her artist's books are found in both private and institutional collections.
Heritage on the Table: Surinamese Dishes from Maroon Culture
During this afternoon, Sisa Events Foundation brings the Maroon kitchen to the table: not just to taste, but also to listen, share, and remember. In the Maroon tradition, food tells a story. Dishes carry the history of survival, freedom, care, and community. This contribution also connects to Baldwin's legacy: daring to look at the truth, making space for voices that have been heard too little, and passing on stories that must not be lost.
West Den Haag
102 Lange Voorhout, Den Haag, Netherlands
Queer Places Nearby
Upcoming
102 Lange Voorhout, Den Haag, Netherlands
Queer Places Nearby
Café De Landman
Bar in Den Haag
Bar in Den Haag
International Gay Monument
Community Center in Den Haag
Community Center in Den Haag
Café 't Achterom
Bar in Den Haag
Bar in Den Haag
Upcoming