GEMAAL OP ZUID
LLL1, Gemaal op Zuid photo by Lavinia Xausa
Programma
LLL #1
by:Leana Boven
Leana Boven (b. 1993, Paramaribo) is a curator, programme maker, writer, and researcher with a background in gender- and postcolonial theory. Her work centers on counterculture, diasporic connectedness and the feeling of belonging, spatial justice, ecology and decolonial climate justice, and collective care.
Leana curated her first exhibition, On Collective Care & Togetherness, at MAMA in Rotterdam in 2020, and has since organized multiple exhibitions and programs. She worked as a curator at Casco Art Institute: Working for the Commons for several years, and currently works as a curator at Stroom Den Haag, where she curated the exhibitions Positions: Soft Intimacies (2024) and Beloved Waters (2025). She is also a curator at Gemaal op Zuid in Rotterdam, where, together with Yusser al Obaidi, she organized the exhibition series Spiritual Disobedience (2025) and Love, Labour, Liberate (2024). Leana has taught at the Willem de Kooning Academy in the Social Practice department and is currently a tutor in Social Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven. In addition to her teaching, Leana regularly writes for platforms such as Metropolis M and is a board member at No Limits! Art Castle.
Love, Labour, Liberate! #1 (in)visibility by Meliange Comenencia and Suelae Robinson
The works Balansa by Meliange Comenencia and Visible We by Suelae Robinson offer profound
insights into the complexities of identity, labor, and resilience–particularly within the context of
Caribbean culture and womanhood.
The installation ‘Visible We’ focuses on the unrecognized labor of Caribbean women, which
includes essential but economically undervalued tasks like caregiving and domestic chores. This
unpaid labor contributes significantly to the functioning of societies but hinders women's
opportunities for higher-paying jobs, perpetuating a cycle of economic insecurity across
generations, all the while these contributions are crucial for family survival. ‘Visible We’
acknowledges the historical and multi-layered oppression faced by Black Caribbean women and
celebrates their contributions to family and community. Utilizing imagery inspired by Yoruba
Goddesses and vibrant textiles, the portraits depict these women as regal and centered, aiming
to shift societal perceptions of Black Caribbean women towards a future where they are
recognized for their inherent value rather than just their contributions.
In ‘Balansa’, themes of stagnation, loneliness, and self-definition within the context of culture,
society, faith, and family are explored. Through three poignant self-portraits, Meliange chronicles
a journey of breaking free from societal expectations. This project reflects her previous work,
Healing Ritual (2019), where she confronted the pressures of her Curaçaose heritage, Catholic
upbringing, spirituality, and experiences as a Black woman in the Netherlands. ‘Balansa’
represents a transitional phase where one realizes the importance of asserting one’s own
identity, questioning inherited cultural and spiritual norms. The artwork encourages introspection
in regards of culture, faith, and family on personal growth, inviting viewers to contemplate the
freedom to explore and evolve.
The works Balansa by Meliange Comenencia and Visible We by Suelae Robinson offer profound
insights into the complexities of identity, labor, and resilience–particularly within the context of
Caribbean culture and womanhood.
The installation ‘Visible We’ focuses on the unrecognized labor of Caribbean women, which
includes essential but economically undervalued tasks like caregiving and domestic chores. This
unpaid labor contributes significantly to the functioning of societies but hinders women's
opportunities for higher-paying jobs, perpetuating a cycle of economic insecurity across
generations, all the while these contributions are crucial for family survival. ‘Visible We’
acknowledges the historical and multi-layered oppression faced by Black Caribbean women and
celebrates their contributions to family and community. Utilizing imagery inspired by Yoruba
Goddesses and vibrant textiles, the portraits depict these women as regal and centered, aiming
to shift societal perceptions of Black Caribbean women towards a future where they are
recognized for their inherent value rather than just their contributions.
In ‘Balansa’, themes of stagnation, loneliness, and self-definition within the context of culture,
society, faith, and family are explored. Through three poignant self-portraits, Meliange chronicles
a journey of breaking free from societal expectations. This project reflects her previous work,
Healing Ritual (2019), where she confronted the pressures of her Curaçaose heritage, Catholic
upbringing, spirituality, and experiences as a Black woman in the Netherlands. ‘Balansa’
represents a transitional phase where one realizes the importance of asserting one’s own
identity, questioning inherited cultural and spiritual norms. The artwork encourages introspection
in regards of culture, faith, and family on personal growth, inviting viewers to contemplate the
freedom to explore and evolve.