De Halve Maen

For this work, I make a virtual journey to the Banda Islands from the present. A step back in time, in 1607 when Jan-Pieterszoon Coen landed. He encountered a paradise island. The peace-loving population welcomed Coen and his crew. The island consisted of trees where nutmeg grew, an unknown spice that the Dutch saw trade in. Commanding Admiral Pieter Verhoeff had been tasked with negotiating the nutmeg trade. During the construction of the fort, the population revolted and murdered the admiral. As a result, many Bandanese were beheaded, on Coen's orders. Thousands of people were murdered - beheaded for the nutmeg. I translate and visualize this history into the present to keep the history alive.