Salon#3: Working with Narratives of Enslavement, Colonialism and Intergenerational Inheritances.
Closing event of Buhlebezwe Siwani’s solo exhibition ‘ulwela amaza’with: Peggy Brandon, Dyonna Benett and Jennifer Tosch
On the occasion of the last day of Buhlebezwe Siwani’s solo exhibition ‘ulwela amaza’, we will host an informal gathering with Dyonna Bennett (Independent curator/former Dutch National Maritime Museum), Peggy Brandon (Dutch National Slavery Museum), and Jennifer Tosch (Black Heritage Tours and Sites of Memory). Buhlebezwe Siwani will be present as well.
We will start with a conversation between Peggy Brandon, Dyonna Benett and Jennifer Tosch on the ways in which exhibition-making and other forms of public presentation can address narratives of enslavement, colonialism and intergenerational inheritances (such as trauma).
In relation to the guest contributors’ own practices and methodologies, the conversation aims to surface questions such as: How do you relate to the dominant framing of these narratives in Dutch cultural institutions? What does it mean for you to work with challenging materials? Up to which point is it important to keep a broader public in mind, who might not otherwise engage with these histories and experiences?
Buhlebezwe Siwani will then lead a tour through ‘ulwela amaza’ with curators Clare Butcher and Sjoerd Kloosterhuis – offering insights into the production of the project in relation to the artist’s wider practice.
We’ll conclude the gathering with a sharing of Jennifer Tosch’s new essay, written in response to the exhibition.
Bio’s:
Dyonna Benett is an independent curator and cultural heritage specialist focused on museology, public engagement, and inclusion. She explores the psychological and cultural impacts of colonial and postcolonial histories in the Caribbean and the Netherlands. Passionate about preserving cultural heritage, she uses her expertise to connect communities, create impactful exhibitions, lead projects, conduct research, and deliver presentations.
With a background in collections related to slavery, migration, and cultural heritage, Benett advocates for bringing forgotten stories to light and raising awareness of the colonial past and its ongoing effects. Recently, for the Dutch National Maritime Museum (Scheepvaartmuseum), she curated the semi-permanent exhibition Schaduwen op de Atlantische Oceaan, exploring the history of the Dutch maritime colonial past.
Her work emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the colonial legacy and the need to re-evaluate and reinterpret cultural and historical collections in light of this history. At the core of her practice is the visibility, recognition, and empowerment of communities through their shared stories.
Peggy Brandon, born in Surinam, curated the museum concept and co-wrote the businessplan for the soon to be built National Slavery Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, appointed by the municipality of Amsterdam, and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Brandon gives lectures throughout the Dutch European and Caribbean territories on the subject matter.
Brandon holds a master’s degree in Japanese Language and Culture from the University of Leiden. During her advanced graduate studies, she specialized in anthropology, archeology, law in Leiden, in communication and media science at the University of Utrecht and business management at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. She also studied art history during a stay in Italy.
After a career in PR, advertising, media, and sponsorship, she ventured into a more cultural working environment in 1996.Brandon was part of the team that realized the renovation and fundraising of the Dutch National Museum of Ethnology, and was the founding director of the Siebold House, a Japanese museum in Leiden, jointly commissioned by the Dutch and Japanese government.
To date in 2025, Brandon leads Mocca, a centre for Arts education and still curates programming for the National Slavery Museum of the Netherlands.
Jennifer Tosch is the founder of Black Heritage Tours, which aims to reveal the hidden colonial history within the built environment. Guests explore the earliest presence of people, both free and enslaved, who arrived from various parts of the world.In addition, Jennifer is the co-founder of Sites of Memory, an organization that produces history-themed theater.
She is also a member of the Mapping Slavery Project Netherlands and has co-authored three books: Amsterdam (2014, 2019), The Netherlands Slavery Heritage Guide (2019), and Dutch New York Histories (2017). Jennifer was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Surinamese parents. Her ancestors also come from Suriname and West Africa; and, since 1944, the Netherlands.