Aruban Cultural Identity
The Aruban cultural identity is not an easy one to define. Home to more than 100 nationalities, Aruba has grown into a nation where cultures meet, blend, and exchange customs and ideas. Yet it has been only forty years since Aruba could autonomously claim its own cultural identity. What does it truly mean to make such a claim, and how does this meaning shift for the Aruban diaspora in the Netherlands, where the country in which this identity was shaped lies 8,000 kilometers away?
On the Shoulders of Our Ancestors
In On the Shoulders of Our Ancestors , we explore how Aruban cultural identity emerged, how it has evolved, and how it can continue to be practiced and reclaimed, both on the island and within its diaspora. The program also invites critical reflection on the role the Netherlands has played—both in shaping and in eroding—Aruba's cultural identity and collective memory.
Program and Dialogue
The event starts at 19:30 with a lecture on the developments that have shaped and continued to shape Aruba's cultural identity. This is followed by a discussion with elder writer and poet Quito Nicolaas, who has contributed to documenting and celebrating this cultural identity, alongside younger artists who, inspired by his work, explore what preserving, honoring, and appreciating Aruban culture could look like in the future.
