Bitterzoet Erfgoed Zwart in Groningen

About Bittersweet Heritage

The rich and powerful people in Stad en Ommeland were often involved in slavery overseas in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Some members of these families had themselves portrayed with a black servant.
In Zwart in Groningen you will discover historical paintings and sculptures made in Groningen that depict people of color. The works bear witness to Groningen’s involvement in the slavery past.
Artist Faisel Saro and writer Vamba Sherif respond to these images in an artistic and literary way.

Traces of our slavery past can also be found in the collection exhibition with art and heritage from Groningen. From now on we will pay extra attention to objects with a colonial history.

Zwart in Groningen is part of the cultural manifestation Bitterzoet Erfgoed. From February 18 to September 12, 2022, museums, heritage institutions, cultural and educational organizations from the city and province of Groningen will pay attention to the slavery past in Groningen and its impact on the present. For more information and all participating parties, visit www.bitterzoeterfgoed.nl, more information on the exhibition can be found here.