Silent Song

'Silent Song' by Ipeh Nur, developed during her residency at Hotel Maria Kapel supported by Cemeti Institute.

'Silent Song' unfolds as an artistic research project tracing the colonial history of the Hongi Tochten-the violent expeditions carried out by the VOC in the Moluccas to control the spice trade. Approaching this history from the perspective of Ternate, Ipeh examines how its memory endures through songs and oral traditions, and how these narratives resonate with Hoorn as the birthplace of J.P. Coen. During her residency, she gathered stories, voices, and environmental sounds from Ternate and the Moluccan community in Hoorn, translating them into a layered sound installation in which clove trees re-emerge as silent witnesses.

At the heart of the project is the 'Singing Kumpulan', a communal session inviting participants to share songs, stories, and lived histories. Through collective singing, listening, and shared meals, the work becomes both archive and encounter-an embodied reflection on remembrance, transmission, and the persistence of cultural memory.