Valika Smeulders - Speaker

Voices Unsilenced: Transforming Museum Narratives Through Personal Memory

Head of the Department of History, Rijksmuseum

Abstract:

In her session, Dr. Valika Smeulders explores the power of personal stories to reshape institutional narratives. She reflects on the Rijksmuseum’s landmark exhibition Slavery, which integrated historical objects with lived experiences to spark national conversation and reframe the museum’s role in addressing complex histories. By centering individual voices within colonial and postcolonial contexts, the exhibition opened space for dialogue, recognition, and social change. This talk offers a behind-the-scenes look at how museums can challenge dominant narratives and engage audiences in more inclusive and impactful storytelling.

About Valika:

Prof. dr. Valika Smeulders is Head of the Department of History at the Rijksmuseum and Chair of Museums, Heritage and Religion at Groningen University. Her work focuses on the Dutch colonial past, restitution policy, and the social relevance of museum collections. She was a leading curator of the Slavery exhibition in Amsterdam (2021) and New York (2023), and has published widely on colonial memory in Dutch art and museum contexts. Her recent publications include Slavery. The Story of Joao, Wally, Oopjen, Paulus, Van Bengalen, Surapati, Sapali, Tula, Dirk, Lohkay and contributions to Colonial Memory in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collections and State and Slavery: the Dutch Colonial Past and Its Legacy.

🎟 Join us at CTA Amsterdam 2025 to learn how personal memory can transform public history.
📅 17–19 June, 2025