Between reality and imagination: Of new futures and herstories

The Bonnefanten positions itself as an art mediator between the world and Limburg. In line with its postmodern philosophy, it seeks to engage with the public, focusing on education. Through the exhibitions “This is not the end of the road” and “Dream on”, their mission succeeds by bringing world-renowned artists, who have exhibited at the 59th and 60th Venice Biennales, to Limburg. Notably, they selected to exhibit non-Western artists, seeking to amplify voices of marginalised communities. 

The small room marking the beginning of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas’ first solo exhibition in the Netherlands features a collaborative installation between the Polish artist and Roermond-based artist of Sinti origin Morena Bamberger. Sonnekrasko Djiephen (Sinti for a Life of Gold) is a life-size wooden caravan covered in colourful textiles commissioned by the Bonnefanten specifically for the exhibition. The artwork is truly enchanting, initiating the process of “re-enchanting” the world inherent to Mirga-Tas’ solo exhibition in the adjacent rooms. 

A unicorn is mounted in front of the wagon, taking me into the realm of the imagination - it seems as if I have stepped into a fairytale. The combination of purple, pink, and golden fabrics, decorated with golden stars and glitter and bathed in soft golden light contributes to the magical appearance. The rooster on top of the wagon captures my eye, followed by the soft glimmer emanating from the wagon’s crystalline windows. The installation is immersive, allowing the visitor to fully circumambulate it. A white sheet spans the space between wagon and wall, providing privacy to the imagined inhabitant of the caravan and simultaneously serving as a screen for film projections.

The attention to detail is impressive - small bags filled with salt and crystals adorn the wagon and laundry line, even behind the white sheet, where they are hidden from the sight of visitors who only view the installation from the front. A violin, metal pot, milk jar, and pair of shoes add liveliness to the installation, as does the little dog expectantly looking up at an invisible friend, waiting to play fetch with the crystal ball placed in front of him. The love for detail reflects Bamberger’s love for her community. The wagon is a sanctuary for Sinti history and culture, underlined by its adornment with spiritual artifacts and flowers. Although the artists and their families no longer travel, the caravan, especially the large wheels, connote movement, crafting a link between present and past and making the caravan an icon of her people. The shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary mounted on its backside, crystals, and salt evoke spiritual associations, while the rooster on the wagon’s roof, placed in the spotlight and thereby casting its shadow on the wall, signifies new beginnings or the rise of a new future - connecting Mirga-Tas’ solo exhibition to “Dream on.” The Bonnefanten Museum emphasises this link to the new collection featuring 20 artists’ hopeful imaginaries of the future in the exhibition’s leaflet. Notably, the exhibitions flow into each other, the end and start of each only marked by texts on the walls.

In the films projected onto the white sheet, the viewer adopts two different viewpoints. In one, I am observing a woman sitting in the woods, dressed in white, tulle sheets all around her, while she performs dance-like movements with her arms. In the second one, I adopt an active perspective, exploring the film setting and interacting with people on screen. The camera movement enforces my active role, serving as eyes - windows into Bamberger’s world. Everything is seen through a sheer film, adding a layer of intangibility to the scenes, as if they were a dream. The leaflet reveals that in the first one, Bamberger is seen as an artist through the eyes of her family while in the second one, she explores the caravan park she grew up in and Sinti culture through the eyes of an artist (herself). The films are sensorially pleasant, the sounds and movements soft, but their meanings are difficult to grasp from an outside perspective. The serene soundscape is also at times disturbed by sounds from the adjacent exhibitions - as well as the white walls surrounding me. Pictures in De Volkskrant also reveal a seemingly small change: colourful cushions have now been replaced by the plain hard bench, from which I watch the projections. The museum setting dispels some of the installation’s magic. Yet, knowing that it was created specifically for “Dream on” inspires critical reflection on belonging and a history of exclusion from institutional discourses, closely tied to stereotypes and misrepresentations of Sinti culture.

By presenting a local artist, the Bonnefanten Museum emphasises the relevance of non-territorial nations, like the Roma and Sinti, to the local context, Limburg, thereby not only bringing the world to Limburg but Limburg to the world. However, despite the monumental installation at the beginning of “This is not the end of the road” (or is it the end of “Dream on”), Bamberger is only mentioned in a small paragraph of the introductory text on the wall. The art installation could initially be confused for an artwork by Mirga-Tas, while in fact, only two artworks, inconspicuously hanging from the walls, are attributed to her. The exhibition leaflet specifies the nature of the collaboration between the two artists, mentioning Bamberger’s work in both “Dream on” and “This is not the end of the road.” The exhibition title, printed on the wall next to Bamberger’s work, fits the room, since for the visitor, this is indeed not the end of the road but a stopover or bridge between two exhibitions. It also symbolically highlights the continuity of Roma and Sinti history and presence in Europe.

Knowing that the installation was created in close collaboration between the two women also lends meaning to the placement of Bamberger’s work at the start of Mirga-Tas’ solo exhibition. Apart from their shared history, the similarities between Bamberger’s and Mirga-Tas art are remarkable: both work with colourful textiles, both engage in patchwork art and collages, both are inspired by their families and background, their traditions and cultural practices. Their dialogue demonstrates a strong link between Sinti and Roma, both of whom have faced discrimination despite their long history on the European continent. In fact, many of Mirga-Tas’ artworks have been created in collaboration with other women in her life. 

Mirga-Tas’ oeuvre behind the caravan is a portrait of Morena Bamberger, kneeling and holding a flower bouquet. Her gaze is directed upwards and the branches of the tree behind her look like a halo adorning Morena’s head. The second “painting” shows a colourful landscape and caravan, complementing Bamberger’s artwork. In both, Mirga-Tas pays tribute to her co-artist and their overlapping herstories, as she does in her other artwork, where she celebrates Roma women by elevating them to icons.

The art installation is laden with symbolic meanings, yet they are difficult to decipher for a visitor of non-Sinti or non-Roma origin or someone who is not well-versed in their iconography. The text on the wall barely touches on the artwork itself, whereas the leaflet provides deeper insights - for an ideal visitor, the curator’s intentions may immediately be visible and the artwork’s connotations recognisable, whereas a less well-informed individual must consult the leaflet. This, however, partially takes away from the sensory immersion the installation offers. 

Sonnekrasko Djiephen is awe-inspiring; its story, process of production and intentions are thought-evoking. However, they are not visible to everyone right away. To some extent, this may add to the mystery surrounding the installation and inspire curiosity. Furthermore, the installation appears displaced, thereby highlighting the Roma and Sinti displacement and exclusion from traditional art institutions. By claiming the space between museum walls, Bamberger and Mirga-Tas not only rewrite history in their oeuvre but also start writing new herstories, showing their culture and its beauty through their eyes while inspiring critical engagement with the past.