Visit the Rijksmuseum's first-ever exhibition about slavery. The exhibition takes the form of personal and real-life stories, instead of mere abstract concepts. Expect to engage with stories from Brazil, Suriname and the Caribbean, and from South Africa and Asia.

Slavery exhibition with an online preview

The exhibition was formally unveiled by King Willem Alexander, with a live broadcast on NPO1 on Tuesday, May 18. Museums in the Netherlands are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but when restrictions are lifted and museums open again, visitors can attend this timely exploration of slavery. For now, an online preview gives a good idea of what to expect. Once the museum is back open, the exhibition will remain until August 29.

Slavery is part of Dutch history

The museum cannot possibly give the full picture of the history of the Netherlands without exploring the topic of slavery, because slavery is a significant part of Dutch history. In recent years, museums are waking up to and acknowledging this reality by offering perspectives that had previously tended to be omitted.

The exhibition is built around personal stories from ten different people. The individuals include enslaved people who were brought to the Netherlands, slave owners and anti-slavery advocates of the time.

The exhibition forces the public to confront the Netherlands' 250-year colonialist era when the slave trade was in operation by the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company. The exhibition features objects on loan from other national and international collections from collaborating museums, including exhibits that have never been on display before.

"The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of art and history. Slavery is an integral part of our history. By delving into it, we can form a more complete picture of our history and a better understanding of today’s society," said general director of Rijkmuseum Taco Dibbits.

Book your tickets to the Slavery Exhibition at the Rijksmuseum

When booking tickets on the Rijksmuseum website, visitors will need to book a specific time slot to visit this exhibition. These will become available as soon as possible.