Positions Afterlives X Ruben La Cruz, foto: Kevin Domfeh Owusuaa Owu
Positions: Afterlives x Ruben La Cruz & Karolien Helweg
As part of the year of commemoration of the history of slavery, we are offering extra attention to artists who reflect on the impact of colonial history in the present. For the third event in the series 'Positions: Afterlives' we welcome artists Ruben La Cruz and Karolien Helweg from The Hague.
Location: Stroom, Hogewal 1-9, The Hague
When: Friday, April 12, 2024: 17:00 - 20:00 hrs
Entrance: free
During this event, Ruben La Cruz and Karolien Helweg present the program 'Zuchtbak'. It brings together various issues in the form of a communal dinner serving traditional dishes from Curaçao, videos showing images taken in the streets around Noordeinde Palace, and an interactive art installation where we can collectively 'sigh' for a moment.
Ruben La Cruz makes work that is politically engaged, exploring the effects of the colonial and slavery past in the present. In the 1980s and 1990s, he did performances on the streets. For example, he protested against the Gouden Koets (golden coach) during the 1990 Summer Carnival in Rotterdam, against apartheid in South Africa under the slogan "Love is making not killing," and he organized a symbolic funeral ceremony along the closed doors of art institutions in The Hague. In addition, La Cruz has been initiating projects and sculptures for more than 25 years, often resulting in monumental objects in public spaces where he subsequently gives workshops to children.