Cookies

Like most websites, the website of the University of Humanistic Studies uses cookies. Dutch regulations require websites to ask for approval the first time the site is visited. More information

Yes, I accept cookiesPreferences
EN NL

Exhibition Bearing Witness: testimonies of life during and after war


3 February 2025


The exhibition Bearing Witness brings together the work of artists from (post)conflict areas with stories of Dutch veterans. The exhibition was curated by PhD student Laura Mudde of the University for Humanistic Studies, following research on moral injury among veterans. The work can be seen in Den Bosch and Arnhem. Saturday 8 February is the opening in Den Bosch.


In Bearing Witness, works by artists from (post-)conflict areas are presented alongside stories from Dutch veterans. These narratives and works convey the lived experience of life during and after war. The artworks explore the nature of memories, the relation to land, and the impact of (forced) migration. The veterans' stories portray their moral concerns about participating in different UN missions. 


Together, these pieces reveal how past events continue to shape present lives. How parallel lines can be drawn between situations "elsewhere" and here, and between the perspective of one person and another. They challenge us to transcend boundaries of time, place, and between people. As denying another as someone like ourselves sows the seeds of violence. Amid increasing global conflicts, what does it mean now to face these experiences? How do we bear witness, even when it is uncomfortable?


The exhibition takes place at two locations:

POST Arnhem (25 January – 20 April)

Willem Twee Kunstruimte Den Bosch (8 February - 30 March)


During the exhibition, there will also be two training sessions for professionals on moral injury: on 13 March in Den Bosch and on 7 April in Arnhem.

The exhibition Bearing Witness brings together the work of artists from (post)conflict areas with stories of Dutch veterans. The exhibition was curated by PhD student Laura Mudde of the University for Humanistic Studies, following research on moral injury among veterans.