Shebang ‘The art and practice of experiencing/Becoming our space’
SHEBANG Issue 4: The Art and Practice of Experiencing/Becoming Our Space was a series of five gatherings curated by Glenn Helberg, focusing on the theme of “divide and conquer”—a colonial tactic used to maintain power by sowing disunity among communities. The project invited artists, thinkers, and performers, especially from African, Surinamese, and the ABCSSS Islands’diaspora, to explore how these colonial strategies still permeate our bodies, minds, and actions today. Through rituals and shared stories, the participants worked to confront these mechanisms, reclaim space, and foster connection. Visual artists such as Alydia Wever, Raul Balai, and Fré Calmes contributed to this collective process with the aim of transcending individual experiences and working towards collective healing.
During the first gathering of “The Art and Practice of Experiencing/Becoming Our Space”, participants reflected on the divide between Africans who remained on the continent and those who were enslaved. The focus was on exposing the divide and conquer tactic used by colonizers, highlighting that descendants did not sell each other, but were victims of a systemic strategy designed to maintain control.
The second session centered on the Maroons and Surinamese Indigenous peoples, emphasizing their resilience and solidarity in resisting colonization. Despite their collective struggle, the peace treaties they were forced to accept perpetuated divisions and reinforced colonial oppression.
I participated in the third gathering, where attention shifted to the Creole, Hindustani, Javanese, and Chinese communities – sharing stories about their arrival and encounters in Suriname, particularly around indentured labor after slavery was abolished. With contributions from Jomecia Oosterwolde, Devika Chotoe, Walther Tjon Pian Gi, and me, the session delved into the role of divide and conquer systems in shaping our spiritual and communal narratives.
In collaboration with: Alydia Wever, Fré Calmes, Raul Balai and Kimberley Smit,
Read more on the website of Shebang.