Featuring presentations by Watch65, Kevin van Braak and Udeido Collective
ON SHOW | 12 – 21 SEP 2025
Lawan! is a call to action against injustice in all its forms
Hosted by Framer Framed from 12 to 21 September 2025, Lawan! is an exhibition that brings attention to the legacies of post-colonial imperialist expansion in the Indonesian archipelago and West Papua. The title – loosely translating to Fight! – is a call to action against injustice in all its forms.
The exhibition features presentations by Watch65, a voluntary association that is committed to the ongoing fight to uphold justice for the victims of gross violations of human rights in Indonesia; Kevin van Braak, an artist whose work explores the political and ideological dimensions of history; and Udeido Collective, founded in Yogyakarta in 2018 as a platform for young artists from across Papua to initiate an artistic movement in their homeland.
You are warmly invited to join us at the opening on Friday 12 September from 18:00 to 21:00.
Cross-border Solidarity: The Case of Komitee Indonesië
Come and see a rough-cut screening of Watch65’s in-progress documentary on Komitee Indonesië, highlighting its and its efforts to raise awareness among Dutch publics of postcolonial violence in Indonesia under Soeharto’s rule.
Symposium: Against the State's Single History: A Conversation with Indonesian Exiles
Indonesian exiles in the Netherlands come together to discuss their perspectives on the ongoing fight to achieve justice for the victims of mass atrocities committed by the Indonesian state in '65 and '66.
Through visual art and cultural archives, the exhibition emphasises the urgent need to acknowledge and remember the decades of oppression and violence faced by the Indonesian and Papuan people – and to resist the ongoing silencing of these histories in dominant regional narratives. It brings together two distinct projects that respond to separate yet interconnected struggles that emerge from the turmoil of the 1960s.
Hidden Faces of Papua by Kevin van Braak and Udeido Collective documents contemporary Papuan issues rooted in the legacies of colonial and imperialist violence against the people and environment of West Papua. West Papua remained under Dutch administration until 1962, with promises made of an independent state. However, in 1963 it was incorporated into Indonesia under pressure from the US, the Netherlands, and the UN. The control over West Papua opened the possibilities for resource extraction by foreign companies, leading to the strong repression of critical Papuan voices by the Indonesian state. The struggle for and independence is a central part of contemporary West Papuan life.
Remembering and : 60 years after 1965 by Watch65 addresses the struggles of Indonesians exiled after the US-backed genocide of 1965, in which nearly one million Indonesians were murdered under the pretext of eliminating the Communist Party. The purge extended far beyond alleged party members, targeting leftist thinkers, unionists, ethnic Chinese communities and progressive social movements. These atrocities were deeply rooted in Cold War geopolitics – a time of intensifying US influence in Southeast Asia – and were enabled by the lingering effects of Dutch colonial rule. The project also draws connections between these histories and ongoing repression in Indonesia today.
Together, these works open up a space to delve into the complexities of the so-called ‘post-colonial’ condition. It challenges us to consider: can we truly speak of the post-colonial if structures of domination remain so deeply embedded?
Lawan! is co-produced by Framer Framed and Watch65. Remembering and : 60 years after 1965 is commissioned by Watch65 and co-produced by Watch65 and Framer Framed.
Remembering and : 60 years after 1965 is supported by VFonds; Amsterdam Centre for Conflict Studies (ACCS), University of Amsterdam; Internationaal Instituut voor Social Geschiedenis (IISG); and KITLV/Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies.
Design by Chen Jhen. Portraits by Yayak Yatmaka, part of Watch65, Remembering and : 60 years after 1965. Portrait 1: Rusjati. Portrait 2: Kuslan Budiman.
SAVE THE DATE
ON SHOW | 2 OCT – 11 NOV 2025
Presented at Framer Framed from 2 October to 12 November 2025, Remembering Otherwise is a solo exhibition by artist belit sağ. Conceived in close collaboration with curator Katia Krupennikova, the exhibition gives form to stories from a pivotal 1978 labour dispute in Veghel, North Brabant, led by migrant women workers from Turkey. These stories are brought together in a monumental tapestry, complemented by a multi-channel video installation and collages informed by the artist’s archival research process.
You are warmly invited to join us at the opening on Thursday 2 October from 17:00.
Remembering Otherwise is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, TextielMuseum Tilburg, Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK), Mondriaan Fund, Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsdeel Oost, SAHA Association, Stichting Amarte Fonds and PPO Werktuig.
ADDRESS
Framer Framed 71, 1093 KS Amsterdam
OPENING TIMES
Tue - Sun, 12:00-18:00
ROUTE
Framer Framed is located in the Zuiveringshal of the former and is within walking distance from Muiderpoort train station and Oostpoort tram stop.
ACCESSIBILITY
All Framer Framed events are free to attend. Donations are always welcome. Our venue is wheelchair accessible. Visit our accessibility page to learn more about what to expect during your visit.
Framer Framed is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts; the Municipality of Amsterdam; and the Fund.
