The Marrons are the descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped into Suriname&rsquo;s jungle and formed self-governed communities beyond colonial control. Many decades later, Moengo became the country&rsquo;s bauxite-mining capital, built in the rainforest by the Dutch-American company Suralco. Though the town featured schools, churches, a theatre and a public pool, life remained strictly segregated. Marrons, who performed most manual labour, were required to leave Moengo by 5 PM each day and return to their villages along the Cottica River.Casa Blanca, the director&rsquo;s 1920s Art Deco villa, symbolised Suralco&rsquo;s wealth and authority. After the mines closed in 2015, it briefly served as a cultural hub, until the theft of its roof and copper wiring during the pandemic left it exposed to rapid decay and the encroaching jungle.During a three-month residency at Tembe Art Studio, we filmed in Casa Blanca almost daily, letting the building &ldquo;speak&rdquo; through light, sound and atmosphere. The title De let&rsquo;en &ndash; Da it&rsquo;en!&mdash;a traditional Marron storytelling call-and-response&mdash;frames our final presentation of a film, a performance with local artist Seraven Pinas, and a concrete replica of the villa&rsquo;s billiard table.

De let'en! Da it'en!

Duration: 25min33secThis is the trailer of my three-screen video installation &#39;Flowers bloom prosperity, Clouds float with time&#39;. The installation juxtaposes the Dutch sky, my grandparents&#39; apartment, and the cityscape of Changsha.In the early 2000s, my grandparents moved to a new apartment, during Changsha&rsquo;s initial wave of urbanisation. Their old residential compound where I grew up, was turned into a green plaza surrounded by malls. Over the years, my city has tremendously transformed and prospered. Each visit to Changsha feels more alien, as its skyline evolves into a forest of skyscrapers, their synchronized lights illuminating the night, like the vibrant embroidery in my grandparents&#39; living room, bearing the phrase, &ldquo;Flowers bloom prosperity.&rdquo;The embroidery is both a prophecy of my hometown and a wish from my grandparents to the family, watching over generations. In 2023, my grandpa passed away due to COVID-19, leaving my grandma alone in their apartment. During my visit last year, I stayed with her and filmed her daily rhythm.When I live in the Netherlands, the Dutch skies are very present to me. In summer, the clouds float lightly, and in winter, the wind howls over the vast polder, the dark, looming clouds hang low. They weigh heavily on everyone&rsquo;s mind, deepening my sense of wandering. I filmed them outside the windows of my apartment - clouds that belong to this land. They float beyond the horizon, as if home is somewhere over the clouds.

Flowers bloom prosperity, Clouds float with time

Duration: 5min 24secYear: 2023Inspired by my countless walks in the Middelpolder, the video mirrors my text &lsquo;Dream of a Dutch Sky&rsquo;, unfolding the Dutch landscape through three different perspectives: the camera&rsquo;s , the protagonist&rsquo;s and the plane&rsquo;s, capturing a wanderer&rsquo;s stroll. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;