DutchCulture & Het Zuid-Afrikahuis Presents: Unlearning Knowledge Institutions

This event is organized to bring together artists, knowledge institutions and (policy) makers working with heritage and knowledge systems. This event is co-organized by the Zuid-Afrika Huis and DutchCulture, the discussion will be moderated by Carine Zaayman (Wereldmuseum).

Full program

15:45 – 16:00 Entry

16:00 – 16:10 Welcome by Susan Coetzee-Van Rooy & Jeroen van Waardenberg

16:10– 16:20 Introduction by Carine Zaayman

Presentations: Interventions in knowledge institutions

16:20 – 16:35 Sites of Memory

16:35 – 16:50 Buhlebezwe Siwani

16:50 – 17:05 Julia-Beth Harris

17:05 – 17:20 Dwaalstêr/Jonathan Tang

17:40 – 18:00 Closing panel discussion

18:00 – 19:00 Drinks

19:00 End

Moderator

Dr. Carine Zaayman (she/her) is a Researcher and Research Coordinator at the RCMC/Wereldmuseum. As an artist, curator and scholar, she is committed to critical engagement with colonial archives and collections, specifically those holding strands of Khoekhoe pasts. Her work focuses on the afterlives of slavery and colonialism, particularly in the Cape, by bringing intangible and neglected histories into view. Her research aims to contribute to a radical reconsideration of colonial archives and museum collections, especially by assisting in finding ways to release their hold over our imaginations when we narrate the past, as well as how we might shape futures from it.

Speakers

Buhlebezwe Siwani

Buhlebezwe Siwani was raised in Johannesburg, due to the nomadic nature of her upbringing she has also lived in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal. Siwani works predominantly in the medium of performance and installations, she includes photographic stills and videos of some performances. She uses the videos and the stills as a stand in for her body which is physically absent from the space. Siwani completed her BAFA(Hons) at the Wits School of Arts in Johannesburg in 2011 and her MFA at the Michealis School of Fine Arts in 2015. She has exhibited at the Michaelis Galleries in Cape Town, a site-specific exhibition in collaboration with APEX Art, New York City, in 13th Avenue, Alexandra township, Commune 1, and Stevenson in Cape Town. Siwani lives and works between Amsterdam and Cape Town.

Dwaalstêr

Dwaalstêr is a publishing and design company, founded by Brent Dahl and Hanno van Zyl that is focused on producing artist editions. Our practice is research- and process-driven, often unfolding through close collaboration with artists, writers, and designers. We are interested in how editions, when made with care, can preserve the conceptual rigour of the original artwork while reaching wider audiences.

At the heart of our mission is a commitment to preserving and amplifying new, alternative, and marginal forms of knowledge, particularly those that fall outside dominant cultural narratives. By creating accessible entry points for collectors and publics alike, we aim to foster deeper engagement with contemporary art and design. Dwaalstêr serves as a platform for emerging or under-recognised artists, offering them opportunities to share their work, build visibility, and connect with new audiences. Our projects often encourage cultural exchange, most notably between South Africa and the Netherlands, creating room for dialogue, tension, and collaboration across geographies.

Jonathan Tang

Jonathan Tang (he/him) (1997) is a Cantonese-Dutch visual artist with an architecture background. His artistic practice reflects on topics such as the disciplined landscape, cultural control and the traces of institutional violence. Through his work, he seeks a new understanding of how human behaviour and actions are influenced by power structures. As instruments of intervention in these structures, he makes use of photographs, archival materials and sculptures.

Sites of Memory

Sites of Memory Foundation (SoM) Develops artistic projects around our shared cultural heritage, the hidden and underrepresented stories of the Netherlands and the former colonies. SoM was founded by Jennifer Tosch (cultural historian and founder of the Black Heritage Tours) and Katy Streek (theatre maker and programmer). Since 2016 they have created site-specific performances about the hidden stories from slavery and colonial history. They collaborate with a team of multidisciplinary artists and partners both local and internationally.

Julia-Beth Harris

Julia-Beth Harris is a poet and performer from South Africa, now based in Amsterdam. With a background in design and creative writing, she brings a distinctly visual and multi-layered quality to her texts. Her work moves between continents, reflecting her position between the global North and South. Writing as an act of unification, she builds bridges between cultures and communities, embodying grace and calmly commanding stage presence.