Unconsensual Despair

Unconsensual Despair is a work I created as a response to the Jubileumkast from the Missiemuseum’s collection. I was asked to choose an object from their archive and make a piece that could counter it. I chose the Jubileumkast because of its colonial symbolism and the way it represents a controlled narrative of faith and salvation.

My version reimagines that history through my own lens. It’s built as a wooden structure with 2D cutouts and a four-headed form in the center, representing see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil, and do no evil. This symbolizes the silence and pain that were forced upon generations of people who had no control over their suffering.

For me, Unconsensual Despair is not only about grief, but also about resilience. It’s about reclaiming the right to tell our own stories and turning inherited pain into a space for reflection, healing, and dialogue.