Art in public spaces: Street art & sculptures

The public spaces in Rotterdam are filled with art. While you’re out for a walk, you could come across sculptures of Rodin, Henry Moore and Picasso. These are interspersed with contemporary art by national and international artists and street art from the hip hop scene.

Visual arts in public spaces

The impressive collection of sculptures from Sculpture International Rotterdam with the three figureheads of Rotterdam – the Zadkine, the Gabo and the Moore – can be admired for free every day. This international collection, part of which can be found on the Westersingel, is part of Rotterdam’s entire collection of artworks, the City Collection. The collection is managed by Beeldende Kunst & Openbare Ruimte (BKOR). For the complete overview of visual art in public spaces, check the BKOR website.

The destroyed city (1953), Ossip Zadkine

Forest polder fox (2020), Florentijn Hofman

Bathbunny, Studio MAKY

Tours and routes

You can find a map of the walking route past the 65 unique works of Sculpture International Rotterdam at Rotterdam Tourist Information Coolsingel. Or pick up a map for the Rotterdam Light Route. It takes you past strikingly illuminated artworks, glowing architectural city icons and poetry that lights up in the dark. Download the Rotterdam Routes App and choose the Art & Poetry route for a personal story from city poet Hester Knibbe and artist Gyz La Rivière which passes a special selection of sculptures.

Rotterdam is an open-air gallery of modern and contemporary art, set against a backdrop of some of the most adventurous architecture in Europe.

Lonely Planet

Street Art to discover for yourself

Besides the City Collection with works of art from Rotterdam, more and more street art is also enriching the streets of Rotterdam. The colourful murals are made by top local, national and international street artists and are located in and around the centre. The Rewriters App has 11 routes and areas to choose from where a lot of street art can be seen. The murals of the Rotterdam Street Art Museum art projects, on and around the West Kruiskade, and Rotterdam Art Ride (ROAR) in Rotterdam Zuid, are a part of these routes. If you’re interested in an organised tour, check the Art Index Rotterdam website for tours in collaboration with the CBK Rotterdam or join the Free Street Art Walking Tour from hostel Ani & Haakien.

Highlighted

ReWind

The red-winged artwork ReWind on Willemsplein has been replaced with a s...

Bobbing Forest

The project ‘Bobbing Forrest’ is a concept of artist Jorge B...

Santa Claus

Controversial and conspicuous, the Santa Claus sculpture – known c...

Street art festival Rotterdam

We can look forward to more unique murals from the street art festival POW! WOW! Rotterdam which takes place in the Afrikaanderwijk again from 6 to 13 September. Besides the murals and intervention art, visitors can marvel at unique exhibitions in temporarily vacant houses, just like last year, but this year under the name 55 TIMES 5. The popular 20 VANS 30 CANS, in which twenty vehicles are painted, will also return.

3200-tymon-street-art-rotterdam-kruiskade

Art projects

There are also numerous art projects spread across the city which you should not miss. Like the Bobbing Forest. This art project consists of 20 elms planted in used buoys that float in the water of the Rijnhaven on the side of the Wilhelminapier. Don’t forget to go to the Markthal where the ‘Horn of Plenty’ decorates the interior; the largest work of art in the Netherlands, with an area of 11,000 m2. From 18 July to 4 October 2020, Atelier Van Lieshout will present a sculpture route spread across the Merwe-Vierhaven area (M4H) in Rotterdam West. ‘Let’s Get Physical’ offers visitors the opportunity to get to know the developing port area with more than thirty large sculptures.

10 x museums and art institutions in Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a bubbly mix of innovative architecture, lively festivals and challenging art and culture. The many exhibitions in top museums such as the Kunsthal Rotterdam and the Nederlands Fotomuseum are well worth a visit. For those that love art, don’t miss this top ten of museums and art institutions in Rotterdam. Or check out all museums and art institutions in Rotterdam.

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