MAJALLA'S MANTEL is a participatory art project that delves into the connections between the historical Dutch cloth industry and the slave trade.

As in previous projects that strive to uncover stories of lesser known objects and collections, Sarah collaborates with artists from diverse artistic and cultural backgrounds. Central to this project commissioned by Museum de Lakenhal in Leiden (NL) is the exchange with Afro-Caribbean communities living in The Netherlands. In specially devised sessions, they collectively unraveled a reconstructed historical fabric connected to the cloth and slave trades - developed in concertation with heritage specialist Alicia Hoost (NL/SU) and produced by cooperative De Leidse Weverij. In these encounters, touch and muscle memory function as sensory gateway to stories not found in books.

The resulting threads and fragments have been assembled into tactile sculptures by artists Eugenie Boon (NL/CW) and Claire Zandvliet (NL); the words woven transformed into songs with singer and performer Esther Mugambi (AU/KE). The outcome of this process was on view in an installation and a series of performances at De Lakenhal, until April 13th 2025.

 WWW.DELAKENHAL.NL

Credits

MAJALLA’S MANTEL is a project initated by Sarah van Lamsweerde and Alicia Hoost, in close collaboration with Esther Mugambi, Eugenie Boon and Claire Zandvliet (production). In partnership with Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden and Cooperatie de Leidse Weverij.  Kindly supported by Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie, Mondriaan Fonds and Museum De Lakenhal. Photo's Wilke Geurds