Alé rasa, beta rasa – Maryse Poels

For this project, fourth-generation Moluccan Maryse Poels, looked at the concept of “homesickness” from her grandfather’s experiences, and her own. The audio fragments create an ambience of warm memories in the present space. The cassette tapes represent both generations, that are also in conversation with each other: to connect, reflect and share.

“The never fulfilled promise of a temporary stay is the reason why my grandfather has lived with nostalgia for Maluku his whole life. A place that was once his home. I myself, a fourth-generation Moluccan in the Netherlands, grew up with the stories of his homeland. My grandfather tried to keep his memories alive by sharing them with us, and so his memories became my own: Alé rasa, beta rasa (what you feel, I feel too).”