Art Rotterdam Week, a mirror of the always redefining city

"Art Rotterdam is the place to experience all the exciting new developments in visual art.", David Versteeg, collector

Rotterdam has been the art stage for the international talents from 7 to 10 February. A place to discover a city that never ceases to climb to the skies through its modern buildings, a city that takes you on water walks through different visions in space.

That is what Art Rotterdam Week has taught me: you can find new visions in the town of Erasmus! And, by entering Cruise Terminal and the LP2 at the Wilhelminapier, 95 galleries of which 50% international are awaiting you to emerge into a different world. New visions, new spatial and temporal dimensions, erotic fantasies and digital touch, all together for the visitor to enjoy art in a different manner. Most of the galleries are also present at the most known international fairs like Basel, London or New York.

For the fourteenth edition of Art Rotterdam, the exhibition expands with a fair for video art and film: Art Rotterdam Projections. For the contemporary art, many artists prefer to open to their audience through an interactive way like videos and films.  At Rotterdam exhibition, 20 galleries come in this format.

From the entrance, I could notice the bicycle helmets hanged above the stairs: a hundred twenty bicycle helmets with ten thousands of mirror pieces sticked on, all emerged into one organic object. This is the art vision of the Belgian artist Pieterjan Ginckels with Human Disco Bong.

Inside, different shapes, forms - what could mean, what could be, what was the vision? I could notice Jan Maarten Voskuil's art starting as an object in different geometrical forms on white canvasses fitted on wooden frames. The entire work changes itself through all its actions as with the bent wooden frames, the paintings become spatial and sculptural.

Another great artist is the Columbian Oscar Murillo who takes more on a political approach.  One example of his work is that of the groups of people in yoga classes, bingo nights or dance events with the Columbian music.

During the exhibition, Rotterdam is unveiled to visitors as a captivating, full of events city. A city that has not preserved its old side because of the destruction after the World War II bombardment but that is becoming more and more a future town with its buildings and constructions, with its youth generation always into the latest trends, a digital city, I can say, that can forecast very well the new era. Rotterdam is an active city most through its harbor, the third place in the world and the first international petroleum harbor. I had the chance to see its gigantesque harbor by walking with the Spiro boat, a comfortable place to have a snack, a drink and enjoy the view.  

Rotterdam, World Port World City, is an experience you have to try it yourself. Whether is art, fashion (like Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier), night life or fine restaurants like Las Palmas, Rotterdam is a city that redefines itself all the time.

Many thanks to:

Rotterdam Marketing / Kim Heinen

Transavia with the French destinations via Rotterdam Hague Airport: Bergerac, Biarritz, Chambéry, Genève, Grenoble, Montpellier, Nice, Toulon.

Editor: Andra Oprea