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Rebecca Simons

video , sociaal-maatschappelijk , Media , installatie , fotografie , film , Documentair , Autobiografisch , Archieven

Rebecca Simons (1981, FIN)

As a photographic artist, Rebecca Kailola-Simons is fascinated by how humans shape reality through selective memories and chosen truths, as a way to survive or to justify.

Working with photography, video, sound, archival footage and digital manipulation Rebecca unravels and reconstructs (family) histories through documentary-based installations and narratives. By creating parallel storylines or clashing histories, she highlights the complexity of family trauma and the ambiguity of historical 'facts'. Her long-term project Letters from the Past investigates the impact of sexual abuse within the family, while her current research dives into the stories of Moluccan KNIL soldiers and the broader colonial history of the Dutch East Indies.

Central to her practice is active engagement with both collaborators and audiences. Through participatory methods and educational programs, she extends her projects beyond one directional presentations.

Ongoing project: Batu Bicara (the Talking stone)
Project: Batu Bicara (the Talking stone) - 2025 (ongoing) - Batu Bicara (The Talking Stone) is an ongoing visual research project exploring Moluccan-Dutch colonial history through layered storytelling. It combines photography, video, 3D scans, vlog footage, drone shots, archival material, oral histories from Ambon, and official documents -some signed in blood. The project shares stories of legends and antiheroes from diverse perspectives. It challenges dominant narratives by revealing clashing histories and alternative realities. Visit: https://rebeccasimons.com/art-work/batu-bicara-2025/
Encased memories
Artwork: Encased memories - 2023-2025 - This body of work explores familial relationships and the lasting effects of sexual abuse within the family. Idealized memories and connections are scrutinised through the dissection and alteration of personal archive material. The resin encasement reflects how traumatic memories can become permanently embedded in our personal and collective histories. By dissecting and reconfiguring these materials, the work transforms acts of remembering into acts of agency, offering space for reflection and reclamation. https://rebeccasimons.com/art-work/encased-memories-2023-2025 The work consist of 19 resin pieces that can be exhibited as single items or as an installation.
Farwell from Gloskär
Artwork: Farwell from Gloskär - 2025 - Alone at her cottage in the Finnish archepelago, a woman writes a farewell letter to the father. In the stillness of nature, unresolved pain and buried rage surface. Sound editing by Viljam Nybacka.
Project: Letters from the Past - 2017-2023 - Letters from the Past looks at how to tell the story about sexual abuse without focusing on the abuse itself. In the exhibition and film the viewer is confronted with the complex feelings and dilemmas that the family members face. It takes us on a journey in the now, with interviews and questions between the artist and her family, in combination with images, love letters and the story of the past between the man that once was a charming young man and the love for the woman that would become Rebecca’s grandmother. The juxtaposed stories allow the viewer to reflect on the complex feelings that abuse brings forward, questioning how to re-shape memories and restructure the family story. The work consist of photos, projections, archive material, a soundinstallation and a film.
I Think U Did Something To Me, And Now It's In Everything I See And Do
Exhibition: I Think U Did Something To Me, And Now It's In Everything I See And Do - 2025 - Museum Het Nieuwe Domein presented work by 15 members of the Sexually Abused Artists Collective -SAAC- from Amsterdam. This is the first time we exhibited as a group. In 2021, Jan Hoek initiated SAAC, which consists of starting and experienced artists, including painters, filmmakers, illustrators, performers, writers and photographers. The members of the collective are all living with the consequences of sexual abuse before the age of 18. As a visitor, a presentation of diverse work awaits you that can be confronting but also carries a certain lightness. In doing so, the exhibition reflects the character of the collective: diverse, warm, chaotic, open and understanding. Each member has their own story and lives in their own world, yet is connected to the collective. Participating artists: Josefina Di Cesare, FBVG, Mieke Hessels, Jan Hoek, Valentijn Hoogenkamp, Levi Jacobs, Ankie van Kasteren, L., Ted van Lieshout, Sanna Martha, Alma Mathijsen, Mandy Nijhof, Ronald Ophuis, Papa Oyeyemi, Frederique Pisuisse and Rebecca Simons. Visit: https://saacamsterdam.com/
Past Uncovered
Exhibition: Past Uncovered- 2025 - Past Uncovered by Aija Svensson and Rebecca Simons is an exhibition with both artistic and social goals. The project aims to spark conversations about domestic violence and its consequences. By combining documentary and symbolic strategies it offers a visual and auditory experience that portrays different perspectives and processes of navigating difficult situations. Past Uncovered is a dialogue between the works of the two artists, shedding light on the complex dynamics of violence in close relationships and its impact on individuals and families. https://rebeccasimons.com/exhibitions/past-uncovered-2025
Daughters - the Exhibition
Exhibition: Daughters - 2024 - The exhibition ‘Daughters’ by Aimilia Balaska and Rebecca Simons is addressing the theme of sexual abuse within close relationships. Through the visualization of personal narratives the artists shed light on the often-overlooked aspects of abuse, complexities of trauma, memory, and healing. The exhibition presents a fusion of past projects and new creations that span photography, video, text, and other visual media. ‘Daughters’ is an invitation to engage in crucial conversations about power dynamics, and the journey toward reclaiming one’s voice. The exhibition forms a dialogue between the artists’ work, which are both based on their family archives. https://rebeccasimons.com/exhibitions/daughters-2024

I Think U Did Something To Me, And Now It’s In Everything I See and Do

Datum:
Locatie: Het Nieuwe Domein
In samenwerking met: SAAC collective

Museum Het Nieuwe Domein presents work by 15 members of the Sexually Abused Artists Collective -SAAC- from Amsterdam. This is the first time we exhibited as a group. In 2021, Jan Hoek initiated SAAC, which consists of starting and experienced artists, including painters, filmmakers, illustrators, performers, writers and photographers. The members of the collective are all living with the consequences of sexual abuse before the age of 18.

https://saacamsterdam.com/

Past Uncovered

Datum:
Locatie: Photographic Gallery Hippolyte
In samenwerking met: Oscar Lehtinen, Viljam Nybacka

Past Uncovered by Rebecca Simons and Aija Svensson is an exhibition with both artistic and social goals. The project aims to spark conversations about domestic violence and its consequences. By combining documentary and symbolic strategies it offers a visual and auditory experience that portrays different perspectives and processes of navigating difficult situations. Past Uncovered sheds light on the complex dynamics of violence in close relationships.

Daughters

Datum:
Locatie: EOS Gallery
In samenwerking met: artist Aimilia Balaska, curator Electra Karatza, Diotima antiviolence center,

The exhibition ‘Daughters’ by Aimilia Balaska and Rebecca Simons is addressing the theme of sexual abuse within close relationships. Through the visualization of personal narratives the artists shed light on the often-overlooked aspects of abuse, complexities of trauma, memory, and healing. The exhibition presents a fusion of past projects and new creations that span photography, video, text, and other visual media.

https://rebeccasimons.com/exhibitions/daughters-2024

Fearless

Datum:
Locatie: Helsinki Photofestival
In samenwerking met: Helsinki Photofestival

The Letters from the Past was part of the group exhibition on three locations in Helsinki.

https://helsinkiphotofestival.com/rebecca-simons/
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