WILLEMSTAD - After a long wait, the time has finally come: Fundashon Museo Tula (FMT) and Stichting Monumentenzorg Curaçao have signed a lease agreement for Landhuis Knip on Friday afternoon. With this signing, the setup of the new Tula museum at this historic location can begin.
As the owner of the plantation house, Stichting Monumentenzorg has already invested around two hundred thousand guilders in the property since November 2022. The investment is intended to prepare the building for FMT's plans to open a modern and interactive Museo Tula. The renovation works include the complete revision of the electrical system, wood repairs, and the leveling of an old floor made of yellow brick pavers.
Parallel to these renovations, FMT's plans have been further developed. The collection of the old museum, which had to close its doors in 2020 due to the bankruptcy of Kas di Kultura, has been taken over by the Ministry of Education and Culture and will be made available to the new museum.
Resistance
The new exhibition in the museum will focus on the theme: Resistance, resilience, and the process of emancipation. It will highlight the various forms of resistance against the slavery system throughout history.
Shurbey Alberto from Fundashon Museo Tula speaks of a triumph of perseverance by many. Marcel Dennert from Stichting Monumentenzorg Curaçao is also extremely pleased. "We are convinced that FMT will manage this beautiful piece of heritage with great dedication," said Dennert.
The so-called soft opening of the new Museo Tula is expected to take place after the summer. The museum tells the story of the slave uprising in 1795, which began at Landhuis Knip under the leadership of the enslaved Tula.