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Michelle Piergoelam

Publicatie , Geschiedenis , fotografie , Diaspora , Artistiek onderzoek

Art photographer who creates visual stories based on cultural myths, dreams and memories. Images where cultural traditions, stories and scenery are intertwined. She makes conscious use of native stories to tell the cultural importance as a way to witness culture and history. Since 2022 she is represented by ROOF-A Gallery.

Fourteen leaves and a cup of water
Fourteen leaves and a cup of water - March 3, 2024, Brownsberg – Suriname. 36 degrees Celsius. It was unusually dry for the season. Sunbeams broke through the canopy as we walked through the thickly wooded field. The forest was silent as I absorbed the surroundings — the viper's bugloss, the coffee plants and the elephant leaves — they all intertwined in a chaotic symphony of green. The shaman cut off pieces of bark and examined the flora as we continued on our path. It had overgrown the land where plantations once existed. _______ The enslaved possessed extensive knowledge of flora. Gained through their own experience and detailed memories of the African forests and savanna. By using this knowledge as a means of empowerment, some managed to poison their oppressors. They knew the medicinal properties of certain leaves and which plants were edible and which were not. It is this deep-rooted knowledge that enabled them to escape the harsh conditions on the plantation and survive in the dense rainforest of Suriname.
Rower
Songs in a strange land - The rivers of Suriname, on the rivers of Suriname Sailed the enslaved with their ships They rowed and saw the sun set below the horizon, the moon’s reflections ripple on the water The rivers of Suriname, on the rivers of Suriname They transported trade goods into town, Surrounded by the scent of coffee and tabacco, they made their way through the current The rivers of Suriname, on the rivers of Suriname They sang a melodic sequence of call and response Their songs of resilience and sorrow broke the silence of the night On these rivers of Suriname Dawn brought them hope for better lives And their songs still echo on the rhythm of the water
The untangled night - Er tin tin, sigri tin tin… Once upon a time, long ago… Tales were told that everyone could hear, but not everyone could understand. Numerous stories tell about the mythical spider Anansi who had to deal with a tiger who tried to make his life miserable. Although the spider was physically weaker, it was often able to defeat the tiger with its cleverness and cunning. Is it really just a myth? These stories, passed down from Africa to Suriname, and from generation to generation, enabled the enslaved to share their thoughts without the slaveholder knowing what was actually meant. Something that formed into new traditions after the period of slavery were the Angisa’s worn by women were not only beautiful headkerchiefs: their intricate folds contained hidden stories and wisdoms that could only be read by those who had learned to. Through memories and imagination, ‘The untangled tales’ visualizes the stories of the Anansi storytellers and the Angisa-folders, and the ways in which these traditions allow us to glimpse at the years of slavery and afterwards.
Anansi the spider
Spider against tiger
The women
Spider
Fight
Don't fight with me
The woods

Solo tentoonstelling Foto Arsenal Wien

Datum:
Locatie: Wenen
In samenwerking met: FOTO ARSENAL WIEN

The exhibition, which is part of a cooperation between FOTO ARSENAL WIEN and the Klima Biennale Wien, was curated by Marit Lena Herrmann (FOTO ARSENAL WIEN).

https://www.fotoarsenalwien.at/en/exhibition/michelle-piergoelam-across-the-water-en

Muze van Morgen 2026

Datum:
In samenwerking met: AVROTROS

MUZE Magazine presenteert: de Muzen van Morgen 2026.

Uit meer dan driehonderd aanmeldingen selecteerde een vakjury, bestaande uit kunstenaar Iriée Zamblée, curator Heske ten Cate en museumdirecteur Beatrice von Bormann, vier veelbelovende kunstenaars.

Zij krijgen een jaar lang een podium binnen het nieuwe talententraject van AVROTROS.

https://www.avrotros.nl/article/de-muzen-van-morgen-2026-4x-deze-kunstenaars-moet-je-in-de-gaten-houden~1367/

Solo tentoonstelling Naturalis Museum

Datum:
Locatie: Museum Naturalis
In samenwerking met: Naturalis

Zilveren Camera groepstentoonstelling - Prijs voor Storytelling

Datum:
Locatie: Museum Hilversum
In samenwerking met: Zilveren Camera

Tentoonstelling Zilveren Camera 2020, het project 'The untangled tales' heeft de tweede prijs gewonnen voor de Zilveren Camera Prijs voor Storytelling.

https://www.zilverencamera.nl/jaargang/zc-2020/2e-prijs-prijs-voor-storytelling-michelle-piergoelam-the-untangled-tales/

The Untangled Tales

Datum:
Locatie: Rotterdam

Once upon a time, long ago… Tales about a tricky spider were told that everyone could hear, but not everyone could understand. These stories enabled enslaved to share their thoughts without the slaveholder knowing what was actually meant. And Angisa headkerchiefs folds that could only be read by those who had learned to. Through memories and imagination, ‘The untangled tales’ visualizes the stories in the ways which these traditions allow us to glimpse at the years of slavery and afterwards.

https://www.theuntangledtales.com/12129472-gallery/theuntangledtales
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