.jpg "the plane crash in the Bijlmer — Hart Amsterdammuseum")
On October 4, 1992 at 6.36 pm, the Bijlmer changed forever: at that moment an aircraft belonging to the Israeli company El Al crashed into the Groeneveen and Klein-Kruitberg flats. A profound event that many people still carry with them today. In the exhibition ’30 Years of the Bijlmer Air Disaster: Commemorating in Generations’, we examine the disaster and how it continues to affect today.
Bijlmer plane crash in AM aan de Amstel
Together with Imagine IC, the heritage institution based in Southeast, the Amsterdam Museum listened to Amsterdammers who wanted to talk about the disaster with the museum in various city conversations. The content of those conversations formed the basis of this exhibition; the exhibition is about the feeling that Amsterdammers have of the disaster, how they commemorate and the way in which different generations process this trauma together. An exhibition is also currently on display in Imagine IC: visitors can learn more about the disaster both in the center and in the neighbourhood.
Bijlmer air disaster drawings.jpg
The exhibition sketches an idea of the disbelief, shock and sadness that many residents of the Bijlmer had to deal with. This is done through headlines from newspapers that appeared on October 5 – “Fire, death, chaos” and “Suddenly he flipped on his side and straight down” – and through conversations transcribed on canvas that the dispatchers of 112 had that evening . Drawings by primary school students from that time are also on display. The drawings provide insight into how children experienced this event. The teachers who at the time wanted children to process their trauma through drawing now look back.
Bijlmer plane crash tree that saw everything
In addition to two fragments of the cargo plane that were found and preserved by private individuals, there are also works of art about the Bijlmer air disaster. For example, artist Samuel Sarmiento (Venezuela, 1987) made the painting ‘The tree that saw everything – El arbol que lo vio todo’ as a tribute to the victims, and artist Fatric Bewong (Ghana, 1981) shows in a video installation how the disaster today it is commemorated within the communities. Both artists are affiliated with CBK Zuidoost, center for contemporary visual art from an intercultural, inclusive perspective. At the end of the exhibition rooms, all visitors are invited to create an embroidered patchwork of memories, based on the idea of Tess van Zalinge.
The commemoration of the Bijlmer plane crash is on Thursday 4 October the atrium of the CEC building (Bijlmerdreef 1289, Amsterdam Zuidoost). The atrium is open from 4:30 pm. The memorial program begins at 5 p.m.
The exhibition ’30 Years of the Bijlmer Air Disaster: Commemorating in Generations’ can be seen until May 21 in the Amsterdam Museum aan de Amstel