For her research 'Batu Bicara' ('The Speaking Stone'), Rebecca Simons takes the colonial history of Moluccan KNIL families as her starting point. The title refers to a ceremonial site on Ambon where ancestors are consulted and serves as the departure point for bringing together archival material, myths, and family stories. The impetus for the project is the death of Simons' partner's father. With his passing, a direct line to their daughter's Dutch East Indies past disappeared. The realization that this history was in danger of disappearing led her to investigate how stories are constructed and passed down. From her position within the family, Simons aims to approach this material from the inside while simultaneously questioning it critically as an artist. Inspired by illustrations from the colonial era, she explores how existing representations can be reworked to make other stories visible through digital editing and analog techniques such as etching and collages. Additionally, Simons experiments with non-linear narrative forms in photography, video, and sound. Ultimately, together they form a spatial installation that activates the public to take their own position in relation to history.