Another Island, a film installation by Rotterdam-based researcher and audiovisual artist Janilda Bartolomeu, is currently on view at Nieuwe Instituut, the national museum and institute for architecture, design and digital culture in Rotterdam.

The installation offers a deeply personal and poetic reflection on the shared heritage and potential future of the Cape Verdean archipelago and its diaspora communities, specifically in Rotterdam and Dakar (Senegal). Through this interdisciplinary perspective, Bartolomeu explores the cultural legacy and collective spirit of the Cape Verdean community.

The film, Another Island: As We Surrender to the Tides, is the result of a dedicated residency in Dakar, Senegal, during which Bartolomeu conducted research and collected stories from members of the local Cape Verdean community. These narratives resonate with the experiences of the sister community in Rotterdam. The work explores how these diaspora communities navigate and settle within new territories while meticulously maintaining culture, spirituality, and identity through the profound concept of saudade.

*Another Island is on show at the Nieuwe Instituut until 3 May 2026. Janilda Bartolomeu’s work has been made possible with support from the Creative Industries Fund NL, the Amarte Foundation, and the City of Rotterdam.

*** Pictures by Aad Hoogendoorn and Michelle Piergoelam