New Currents Symposium

New Currents Symposium realiza-se a 29 de outubro de 2026, Nieuwe Instituut, em Rotterdam.

Join us for the day -long New Currents symposium, presented by the Nieuwe Instituut and its international partners. The event will explore the shared histories and futures of the Indian Ocean region through panel discussions , film screenings and artworks, as well as an evening keynote . Bringing together historians , architects , artists and curators from across Africa , Asia , Europe and the Indian Ocean diaspora, the programme will examine how artistic , spatial and memory practices can foster new forms of connection across oceans , coastlines and communities . Through four ‘currents’ or themes – Ports as Portals , Oceanic Resonances , Water Preparedness and the film programme Coasts as Companions – the symposium reimagines the Indian Ocean as a connected archipelago rather than a collection of nation states. It will also explore Rotterdam’s place within these interconnected histories. Discussions will address topics such as colonial legacies, migration, climate justice, urban development, ecological knowledge and community-led futures, highlighting practices of archiving, listening, care and solidarity across the region. New Currents will invite audiences to build lasting collaborations beyond the symposium. Contributors include MADEYOULOOK (Nare Mokgotho), Vidya Shivadas, Di Fang, Urbz (Kareena Kochery and Samidha Patil), Traci Kwaai, We Are From Here (Firi Rahman and Lojithan Ram), Sarojini Lewis, Ola Hassanain, The Packet (Sandev Handy and Abdul Halik Azeez), and Lou Mo. The programme concludes with an evening keynote by Mpho Matsipa. The event is supported by the Nieuwe Instituut’s International Visitors Programme, the Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in India and Sri Lanka, and the International Institute for Asian Studies in Leiden. Programme - 10:00 – 10:30 — Word of Welcome - 10:30 – 12:00 — Session 1: Ports as Portals - 12:00 – 13:00 — Break - 12:00 – 13:30 — Film session 1: Coasts as Companions - 13:00 – 15:00 — Session 2: Oceanic Resonances - 15:00 – 16:30 — Session 3: Water Preparedness - 16:30 – 17:00 — Closing Remarks - 17.00 – 18:00 — Break - 17:00 – 18:30 — Film session 2: Coasts as Companions - 19:00 – 21:00 — Keynote - 21:00 – 22:00 — Closing drinks * Please note that t he film sessions take place during the breaks and could possibly overlap with other programme elements. Sessions Ports as Portals : Ports are more than just gateways for trade – they are places where histories, people and ideas converge. Port cities across the Indian Ocean, and Rotterdam itself, share legacies of colonialism, migration and global commerce. This session will explore how personal stories and local histories can reveal these connections, and consider how ports can become spaces of memory, exchange and solidarity, rather than merely links in global supply chains. With: Priya Swamy (Wereldmuseum Rotterdam), Sarojini Lewis, Lou Mo, Firi Rahman (We Are From Here) and Lojithan Ram (We Are From Here). Oceanic Resonances : The ocean carries stories as well as people. Through sound, memory and oral traditions, this session will explore how songs, languages and everyday practices preserve histories of migration, trade and belonging across the Indian Ocean. It asks how listening to these resonances can deepen our understanding of shared pasts and inspire new forms of connection and responsibility. With: Di Fang, Naima Hassan, Ola Hassanain, Di Fang and Traci Kwaai. Water Preparedness : Communities across the Indian Ocean have long developed their own ways of living with water, floods and climate change. This session will focus on local knowledge, design and artistic practices that challenge top-down approaches to climate resilience. It will ask how we can learn from community-led responses that are grounded in care, sustainability and collective action. With: Vidya Shivadas (FICA), Abdul Halik Azeez (The Packet), Sandev Handy (The Packet), Kareena Kochery (Urbz), Nare Mokgotho (MADEYOULOOK) and Samidha Patil (Urbz). Coasts a