Mahina – An ode to women

An impression of Mahina’s various portraits

Each year the 21th of March is marked as the commemoration day of the first Moluccan KNIL soldiers with their families arriving in the Netherlands. Accompanying these soldiers were Moluccan women — the focal point in expressing and conveying Moluccan culture. In recent years the traveling exhibition ‘Mahina – An ode to women’ (2016 – 2021) commemorates this historic arrival. This exhibition tells the story of the contemporary Dutch-Moluccan community; focusing on the crucial role that women played within it. ‘Mahina – An ode to women’ is a triptych consisting of facial portraits, theme portraits, and short documentaries. The single long-term MAHINA exhibition as part of ‘WORLDS IN MOTION. Narrating Migration’ in Weltkulturen Museum (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) was held from 2019 to 2021. The portraits where exhibited together with Moluccan artefacts from the museum depot, and personal stories related to these different artefacts. These tell the story of the past, present and most importantly the future of the Moluccan community as it relates to Dutch society.


The exhibition ‘Mahina – An ode to women’ is made by Teru Artist Collective: Jaïr Pattipeilohy, Lesli Taihuttu and Atêf Sitanala. In collaboration with Stichting Moluks Historisch Museum (Netherlands) and Weltkulturen Museum (Germany). Made possible by Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds, financial contribution from ‘Collectieve erkenning’ of Dutch Ministry of VWS (Health, Welfare and Sports) and Weltkulturen Museum.


Copyright [c] 2014 – 2021 Teru


November / December 2021: Exhibition ‘Rituals around Marriage’, part of IKAT Expo in Museum Maluku in The Hague (NL)

– October 2019 / January 2021: A long-term MAHINA exhibition at Weltkulturen Museum in Frankfurt am Main (DE)

– October 2019: Traveling exhibition / Part of “Month of History” at Bronbeek Museum in Arnhem (NL)

– July 2019: The film ‘Oi Herie Nusa Ina’ is screened during Indische & Molukse zomer in the Gigant in Apeldoorn (NL)

– June 2019: Traveling exhibition / Part of the opening Sophiahof Museum – ‘Van Indië tot nu’ in The Hague (NL)

– May until June 2019: Traveling exhibition / The exhibition was part of the annual Tong Tong Fair Festival in The Hague (NL)

– March until May 2019: Traveling exhibition / Also part of (listen) exhibition in Verhalenhuis Belvédère in Rotterdam (NL)

– March until June 2019: Traveling exhibition / Also part of TieTimeTiel exhibition in Flipje – Streekmuseum in Tiel (NL)

– March 2019: The film ‘Oi Herie Nusa Ina’ is screened during IndoFILMcafé at LUX cinema in Nijmegen (NL)

– February until April 2019: Traveling exhibition / Zinder cultural building, the art and cultural center in Tiel (NL)

– September / October 2018: Traveling exhibition / De Nieuwe Kolk (DNK), the cultural center in Assen (NL)

– July / August 2018: Traveling exhibition / Camp Vught National Memorial (Nationaal Monument Kamp Vught) in Vught (NL)

– June 2018: Traveling exhibition / Creative Space VOX-POP at Faculty of Humanities – University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (NL)

– February 2018: Conference of museum professionals at Museo internazionale delle marionette Antonio Pasqualino, Palermo (IT)

– December 2017: Part of the Sampari Art Exhibition at ACU (Australian Catholic University) Art Gallery in Melbourne (AU)

– October 2017: The film ‘Lau kopot o’ is screened during the week of colonial history at Bronbeek Museum, Arnhem (NL)

– May / September 2017: Part of the 500 years World Reformation Exhibition ‘Gates of Freedom’ in Lutherstadt Wittenberg (DE)

– February / March 2017: Exhibition ‘Hier sta ik – Molukse vrouwen in Nederland’ in the Lebuinus church in Deventer (NL)

– July 2016: Part of the exhibition ‘Tali Pusar’ (50 years Moluccan community Tiel) at Flipje – en Streekmuseum in Tiel (NL)

– June 2016: The film ‘Lau kopot o’ is screened during IndoFILMcafé at DROOMvillage LUX cinema in Nijmegen (NL)

– April 2016: Exhibition in Las Palmas, part of 65th anniversary Moluccan community in the Netherlands, Rotterdam (NL)