It still seems to happen. The bronze sculpture Tula by Toos Hagenaars was offered free of charge to the Curaçao population by the Winschoter artist. But the question is whether the slavery monument will return to the island fifty years later.
Toos Hagenaars made her commitment on Tuesday evening in The Hague. She had recorded her message on a short video shown during the presentation of the book: Tula. An image of slavery, written by writer/journalist Lodewijk Dros.
Dros is curious whether the artwork will ever return to Curaçao. Behind the scenes, there is talk at a high diplomatic level of a ‘return’ of Tula. A number of museums on the island have expressed interest. The Antillean community in Groningen suggests making a cast of Tula, so that it can be preserved for Groningen. It is certain that a documentary will be made about the resistance fighter.
Hagenaars, always with characteristic glasses on her nose and two braids in her hair, made the sculpture in 1973 when she lived on Curaçao. During her five-year stay on the island, she became impressed by Tula. Tula was the leader of the slave revolt in Curaçao in 1795. On October 3 of this year, 228 years after his execution, he will be officially rehabilitated.
Discussion about white artist and naked Tula
The intention was that the statue was given a place in Curaçao. But after it was done, criticism erupted. The artist was white and the statue too naked, were some of the points of criticism. In 1974 the statue was transported to the Netherlands.
Half a century later, the heavy work of art is in a storage shed of the municipality of Oldambt and it still makes tongues loose.
Dros says he has written a biography about the image of Tula. ,,Pertinently not about Tula or Toos Hagenaars. I followed the trail from Willemstad to Winschoten.”
Toos hopes to see her statue get a place in Curaçao. “Toos and her children are satisfied with the place where the statue is stored,” says alderman Jurrie Nieboer. “The children may try to set up a crowdfunding campaign to transport the statue to Curaçao. Whether that will actually happen? We don’t know, but for now the statue is safe here.”
Before it ended up in storage, it made countless wanderings in Winschoten. At first, the work of art stood in the garden of Toos, who is only addressed by his first name by almost everyone. Later in the Tramwerkplaats, the mini theater near the harbor of Winschoten, and until February of last year the statue was an eye-catcher at the entrance of Cultuurhuis De Klinker.
The image was also controversial in Winschoten. Not because of its history, but because of the huge male genitalia. Some Christian schools felt it was inappropriate for their students to be exposed to the naked image. The member was capped regularly.
Four legged movers
Theater director Robert Bangma still remembers when Tula was taken out of De Klinker. Four burly movers with tools had to be used to move the heavy statue. “That was one of the reasons why I didn’t have room for it anymore. We couldn’t move the statue itself. And that was necessary, because we have temporary exhibitions in De Klinker. Tula doesn’t fit in there. No matter how beautiful the image is.”
According to Bangma, the intention is to organize a special day about the slavery period later this year in De Klinker. Perhaps with workshops and speakers. If Tula is still stored in Winschoten, it will certainly be given a place in De Klinker.
Where goes the book Tula. An image of slavery left?
Lodewijk Dros is philosophy editor of the daily newspaper Fidelity . He has published several books, including Island in the mist and (with Annette van Ruitenburg) Nice wads . Tula. An image of slavery was presented in the National Archives in The Hague on Tuesday evening.
Brief description of the book: On August 17, 1795, a slave revolt broke out on the Dutch island of Curaçao, led by Tula. He immediately demands freedom. The colonial government crushes the rebellion and Tula dies a gruesome death.
Almost two centuries later, artist Toos van Mierlo-Hagenaars decides to make a man-sized statue of Tula with the intention of placing it on the patio of her house in Willemstad. The revelation sparked heated debate. Did she portray Tula combatively enough? Why is he naked? And is it up to a white artist to make such a statue?
Lodewijk Dros follows ‘the Tula van Toos’ from the patio in Willemstad in 1973 to a storage warehouse in Winschoten in 2023. The ever-inflamed discussions show how thinking about the past of slavery and its commemoration has developed during this half century. Repeatedly, and now increasingly louder, the call is heard to return the bronze Tula to Curaçao.
Tula. An image of slavery | Louis Dros | ISBN 978 94 6471 022 9 | Paperback with flaps, 144 pages | €16.90