The RARA collection: a history of activism
In October 2023 the IISH organised together with artist Pieter Paul Pothoven an open collection event about the history of the notorious Dutch action group RARA.
RARA (Revolutionary Anti-Racist Action) fought racism, oppression and exploitation in the 1980s and 1990s, including attacks on companies such as Shell and Makro that profited from the apartheid regime in South Africa. In collaboration with the activists involved, artist Pieter Paul Pothoven has documented their history in recent years and depicted it in various ways. All audio recordings, documents and photos that he collected are housed at the IISH: Pieter Paul Pothoven Collection about RARA.
To accompany the transfer of this collection, Pothoven is creating an installation about a squat building at Overtoom 274 in Amsterdam. RARA prepared several actions here and in 1988 a house search took place that played a key role in the lawsuit against René Roemersma, the only RARA suspect who stood trial. Overtoom 274 provides a fragmentary account of the personal and legal history of RARA's resistance against what they considered oppression and exploitation. The installation was part of the art manifestation Refresh Amsterdam #2 with the theme War and Conflict. Refresh Amsterdam is an initiative of the Amsterdam Museum. On October 19, 2023, in addition to the unveiling of the work Overtoom 274, a conversation was organized around art, activism and archives. Katía Truijen spoke with Pieter Paul Pothoven and researcher Sophie van den Elzen. The specific history of RARA and the search of the Amsterdam squat were placed in a broader context of remembering and preserving activist histories, and the role that art plays in this.
On October 19, 2023, in addition to the unveiling of the work Overtoom 274, a conversation was organized around art, activism and archives. Katía Truijen spoke with Pieter Paul Pothoven and researcher Sophie van den Elzen. The specific history of RARA and the search of the Amsterdam squat were placed in a broader context of remembering and preserving activist histories, and the role that art plays in this.
