Interview Angelique Duijndam - Vlissings slavery monument

Angelique Duijndam lives in Vlissingen and is committed to consistently raising awareness about the city's history of slavery. On June 30, 2023, a day before Keti Koti, she, along with artist Zeus Hoenderop, unveiled the monument 'Kom' on the boulevard in Vlissingen.

How does Duijndam view the idea of supplementing controversial monuments, for example, with a critical framing, a counter-statue, or an artistic transformation? This supplementation or recontextualization is also recommended in the report Unstable Pedestals. Controversial monuments in public spaces by The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

“This advice makes me immediately think of the monument of J.P. Coen. It would be beautiful if, on the same square, a monument was placed, for example, for the victims or residents of Bandung. But I don't know if such a counter-statue can be realized at every location or for every monument. Currently, a plaque provides context to J.P. Coen's monument. But it's not very noticeable, and you need to be able to read it carefully. I think it's a beautiful concept to place a counter-monument; that, of course, stands out much more."

According to Duijndam, a counter-monument is always better than removing the monument. “That's a no-go for me, because you’re basically hiding a piece of history. Moving it to a museum increases the threshold to see the monument. A city should tell its history, and that should be in public space, not behind a closed door."

Necessity

As the chairperson of Keti Koti Zeeland, Duijndam emphasizes the need for a slavery monument in Zeeland. Her monument 'Kom' was vandalized with racist slogans just one day after being erected, and the mayor of Vlissingen, Bas van den Tillaar, stated that the monument had to be removed within a week. The monument was relocated to the courtyard of the Maritiem Muzeeum Zeeland.

Is the reaction to your and Zeus Hoenderop's civic initiative, placing the slavery monument 'Kom’, typical of the Dutch attitude towards monuments?

“In Vlissingen, we talk a lot and years can pass before something is actually done. That's why I just took the decision to place the monument on June 30 last year. With the 'Kom' monument, I try to provide insight into the past and show that it still has an impact on the present and the future. I don’t want people to get away with the excuse that a monument in Vlissingen is unnecessary simply because there is already a memorial in Middelburg. The city of Vlissingen was even the capital of the slave trade at a certain period. The city deserves a monument!"

On the boulevard where Duijndam placed the 'Kom' monument, there are also illegally placed cannons. They were allowed to remain and are still there. “In essence, the cannons are expressions of war. I find it strange that the 'Kom' monument had to be removed immediately, while it's a symbol of peace. I'm glad that the Maritiem Muzeeum Zeeland wanted to place our monument in their courtyard. But we're not done yet."

Duijndam, along with artist Zeus Hoenderop, will engage in discussions with the municipality to explore further options for the monument. “I would like to put the monument back on the boulevard and take the plaque from the museum to provide context. We also want to place a bench so that people can engage in conversations there."

‘Bestemming Vlissingen’, is a new political party and it was founded by Duijndam at the end of 2021. The KNAW report also advises municipalities to develop a policy vision on monuments and statues in public space.

How do you envision this in Vlissingen and elsewhere in Zeeland?

“Ideally, the authors of the report should give a presentation for all twelve provinces about possible policies regarding controversial monuments. I would recommend making the report more widely known, ensuring that it reaches the municipalities that need to take action. So far, I haven't heard anything about the report."