Image by Anne-Marie Ros

Last year during Art Rotterdam Preview I met The PrintRoom people for the first time. They told me how dedicated they are to artists publications. Since 2003 they’ve built up an independent platform for artists, designers and small publishers from all over the world. To bring a growing collection of artists publications, research the possibilities within artists’ publications, follow new developments, discuss, collect, invite people for talks and share this with us. 

The PrintRoom is located in an old characteristic building that used to house a printer. Parallel to the Nieuwe Binnenweg in the Schietbaanstraat 17. I really like artist publications, art magazines and think it’s amazing to have this little gem in West. PrintRoom presents Lubok Verlag, publisher of artists’ books located in the well-known ‘Spinnerei’ complex in Leipzig. For the Lubok series, artist and publisher Christoph Ruckhäberle invites artists to make linocuts that are printed on a mechanical letterpress, which allows large editions. More than 140 artists participated in the Lubok series so far. Recently the 10th edition was presented.

During Art Rotterdam Lubok will transform PrintRoom into a zany colored wonderland, using patterned wallpapers as a background for graphic work by artists they’ve worked with so far. With: graphic work by Christoph Ruckhäberle, Gabriela Jolowicz, Sebastian Gögel, Tobias Jacob, Tal R, Katharina Immekus, Volker Pfüller, Oliver Kossack, Matthias Weischer, Karl-Georg Hirsch, Simone Waßermann and other special guests.

Friday 10 February: 19:00 – 22:00: special presentation Lubok VerlagSpecial event: Saturday 11 February: 13:00 – 22:30 part of Rotterdam Gallery Tour 2012.

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PrintRoom | Art & culture, Festivals & events, Shopping
Schietbaanstraat 17 | West | +31618012478
Thu – Sat 13:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Luuk Bode

Rotterdam – the City of Art! 

I witnessed that the last two years has proven to be very exciting for new gallery start-ups that represent fresh young talents, as well as more renowned artists in Rotterdam.

Some of my favourite galleries in town have joined forces. Frank Taal, Iris Cornelis, Mirta Demare, Zic Zerp, Helder and Kap Pur galleries show that they’ve got what it takes with 1300m2 of cutting edge contemporary art by 60 exciting artists. 

The first exhibition of PAVILJOEN ROTTERDAM will run from February 8th – 12th, in Cité building at Laan op Zuid 65 – 207 in Rotterdam (entry corner Laan op Zuid / Veemstraat)

The ambiance at PAVILJOEN ROTTERDAM is very direct and personal, making it the ideal opportunity for networking and if you are seeking for an up-front experience. Acclaimed caterer Westerkaatje serves the food and drinks.  

If you also like to hear artists talk about their work or go on a guided PAVILJOEN ROTTERDAM tour with an art critic and/or contemporary art collector then check out ‘news or activities‘ on things to do.Metro, stop Wilhelminaplein – exit Veemstraat. Tram 20, stop Lodewijk Pincoff 

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PAVILJOEN ROTTERDAM | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Festivals & events
Laan op Zuid 65 Rotterdam | Zuid
Thu 12:00 – 19:00, Fri 12:00 – 21:00, Sat 12:00 – 19:00, Sun 12:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Anne-Marie Ros

For a few days from February 8th – 12th, 2012 Rotterdam turns into the centre of the Dutch Art World .

Every year I write about Art Rotterdam as I love this contemporary art fair bringing 70 national and international galleries. With a new section on the ground floor, showing 15 young galleries with solo shows. E-volved Cultures is an artificial landscape that will be created in real time by featuring artists Driessens & Verstappen. And not to be missed the illy Prize 2012. If you go to Art Rotterdam go check out Gallery Rotwand, they will bring one of my favourite artists Swiss born Tatjana Gerhardt.

If you buy your tickets on-line, use this code: PR2012 It will give you €4,00 discount on the entry fee for Art Rotterdam.

Opposite Art Rotterdam, in LasPalmas II, you will find Objects. An fair for design with limited editions and one-offs by upcoming designers. If you are interested in design but not a collector, why not join the workshop My First Design Collection The Do It Yourself Instructable Restaurant is also back in town now furnished by Thonet.

If you are on the South bank do go visit PAVILJOEN ROTTERDAM (free entry) Laan op Zuid 65 – 207, RAAF takes off! Hillelaan 19, The Player at Hillelaan 49D and RAW art fair at Veerlaan 9 -13.

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Art Rotterdam 2012 | Art & culture, Festivals & events, Snacks
Cruise terminal Wilhelminakade 699 | Zuid
Thu 12:00 – 18:00, Fri 12:00 – 21:00, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Rénia Sastrowidjojo

In between the Zwaanshals and the river Rotte tucked away in a block of houses is Rotabs. An interestingly shaped building.

It was empty for some time after having served as a building for the municipal sanitation service Rotab. Hence the name Rotabs.

Luckily this place was included in the renovation plans to spruce up the entire block which is still in progress. The building is now turned into a creative warehouse where entrepreneurs of diverse disciplines have put up small businesses.

The inside is divided into several units which have tenants like a photographer, a publisher, a goldsmith, a café and a gallery. There are some units left waiting for other daring adventurers to set up shop and where new neighbors have opened shops on the Zaagmolenkade recently.

Initiator Paul Posse is active in the neighbourhood and hopes to create an area like a Camden Town in the Oude Noorden. As Rotabs can be pretty hard to find even for locals, a special bus service is in the making to transport anyone interested to visit this part of the town where much is waiting to be discovered.

Want to find it yourself? Just walk into the Zwaanshals where there’s an entrance through a building leading you to Rotabs. Or do a Route du Nord weekend or visit the Swan Market which is organized several times; an introduction to this area and it’s creative spots, artists and variety of shops.

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ROTABS Stylecenter | Art & culture, Festivals & events, Music, Shopping
Zaagmolenkade 46 | Noord | +31653623230
Wed – Fri 10:00 – 18:00, Sat 10:00 -17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by ALexander

Dek 22 is a small exhibition space I enjoy as much for the plans & enthusiasm as for the actual exhibitions. The owner Hoessein Bouziane is a short fellow with a long breath. He’s into art, architecture, music, hiphop, breakdance, theater, name it. He’s making a nice attempt to bridge the gap between a young street scene and more established crowd.

The works that make it to the gallery are often a bit more formal, while the events appear to be more fun and street wise. It’s directly visible in the location. Somehow the owner managed to get a big part of the building situated in the messy, yet city-council-stimulated Coolhaven.

Dek 22 is a bit out of the way but close to other attractions like De Machinist (acclaimed office space for successful entrepreneurs) the WMDC and the Pelgrim beer brewery.

Keep your eyes open for the developments. Soon they hope to fully utilize the basement with wild ideas for a project space that can be transformed from cinema to capoeira room to party floor. He seems to know the guys that can make it happen…

The cultural season is opened again and there are plans for more design, interiors and affordable good stuff. A short look on the site will show the amazing amount of events in the past. No telling what will happen in two months. 

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Dek 22 | Art & culture, Festivals & events, Music | Free
Willem Buytewechstraat 22 | Delfshaven | +31643708313
Thu – Sun 14:00 – 18:00 & during events

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by ALexander

Churches are in crisis these days and certain scandals are not being very helpful lately. Tax reductions and lowering of the interest rate by the SER won’t save these organizations from seeing their number of visitors decrease. New approaches to fulfill their task of enlightening the people might. The Arminius church has chosen to make a radical change by opening the doors and making a mission statement out of their passion for word and music. These days, typical activities include concerts big and small, showing interesting movies, hosting debates & lectures and participating in many of the cultural festivals in Rotterdam as a podium or with private initiatives.

Check the site for upcoming activities, most of them are low budget or even free. I believe the most bizarre show I ever saw here was a 4-men choir singing renovated Georgian chants about the rights of gays in Uganda. Guess that kind of took away any of my hesitations to visit a church. If you have any great ideas for hosting stuff yourself, this is a nice crew to contact.

The church even goes as far as putting the best spaces in the building for rent. You can rent the church hall for a mere €825 per part of the day! Go for it! As the picture shows, the church is just done with a major reconstruction, but inside the activities continue.

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Arminius Kerk (Church) | Art & culture, Festivals & events, Music, Theaters
Museumpark 3 | Center | +31104363800
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Alexander

A small gallery on a corner of the Witte de Withstraat with a particular taste for the raw and young. Every gallery’s curating team has their signature, but Mama’s might be the most out spoken.

They do short running exhibitions on, for instance, suburban cries for home-improvement, black views on new religions, rising stars in street art and the upcoming exhibitions will be on artoonism and landscape art. During the build-up periods in between exhibitions, the even younger team of “rookie curators” finds aspiring students to do window projects on the facade, so there is always something to see.

The entrance is free and the hostesses are all pretty, attractive art students. Mama is part of my “if I always forget to go there, maybe I should sign up as a volunteer”-action plan. Rotterdam is full of great events and festivals, you just need to take to the time to visit. Which I’m very bad at as I keep planning other things.

Working somewhere means they’ll send you reminders for the event AND you’re obliged to go there and be useful AND meet the people behind it. It’s perfect. A nice idea maybe for some of you as well? For MAMA I help with the build-up, so it’s hammers, drills and trying to keep quiet for the upstairs neighbor. Jeej.

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MAMA | Art & culture, Festivals & events | Free
Witte de Withstraat 29-31 | Center | +31102332022
Wed – Sun 13:00 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Anne-Marie Ros

It all started with Renia pointing out a new gallery in the Jacobusstraat on one of our ‘city exploring days’. During Art Rotterdam 2011 I finally made it to galerie IRIS CORNELIS. It was an evening opening and we spent a good time talking and than we became art friends. 

This passionate gallery owner truly bridges the gap between art, audience and artist with her knowledge, enthusiasm, hospitality and openness. She believes in cross-overs, which results in a wide range of activities in the gallery linked to initiatives in the city. This did not stay unnoticed as gallery Iris Cornelis was nominated for the Museum Night 2011 award.

The gallery is located downtown at the Jacobusstraat 211, in a bright and pleasant space, overlooking the Jacobusgarden that is open to the public.

On show Mr Delta, works selected by Hans Sonnenberg, the owner of Delta Gallery that celebrates his 50th anniversary this year. Opening January 8th. 

Go check it out. Close by is the famous Gnome Butt plug, Delta Gallery and Cokkie Snoei Gallery.

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Galerie Iris Cornelis | Art & culture, Festivals & events
Jacobusstraat 211 | Center | +31104141979
Wed – Sun 12:00 – 18:00 (Closed 30 April)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Rénia Sastrowidjojo

The furniture in the window caught my eye while cycling through the Nieuwe Binnenweg which has an interesting and diverse row of shops.

Seventies Design is located in a nicely renovated building with a lot of space to show what they have on offer.

A couple, Carola and Michiel, decided to start this shop after they had collected so much ’60′s and ’70′s vintage furniture, separate and together as they both share this mutual love.

The collected furniture, lamps, vases etc. are all original and unique pieces. You won’t find replicas here as they only want and search for the real thing. Their searches lead them to e.g. France and the Scandinavian countries. Sometimes they get things offered via other people as well.

Michiel only does restorations if people ask for it, otherwise you might find a couch with worn out pillows, as furniture also has a history, these ‘scars’ tell a story and give them that little extra.

(Upcoming) artists can also display their work here. Every two months they change the art exhibition, followed with a party to invite guests and to introduce the artist.

Can’t make it to the store? Then check out the online shop – it is updated once every month. I’m sure there is something for you if you’re a ’70′s afficionado…They rent out their goods as well, if you’re shooting a film set in the ’60′s or ’70′s, then this might be of help for your props.

They attended the Art Vintage Market Sept.24th. at new hotspot the Mini Mall.

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Seventies Design | Art & culture, Festivals & events, Shopping | From € 10
Nieuwe Binnenweg 229 A | Center | +31638147115
Wed – Sat 12:00 – 17:30 & on appointment

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Rénia Sastrowidjojo

Collective Roodkapje presents ROT(T)TERDAM. A temporary project space of 700 square meters in a building at Meent 119-133. Roodkapje uses the space until the new city office, designed by Rem Koolhaas, will be build here.

ROT(T)TERDAM is a cultural fresh art supermarket as they sell it to the public. I totally like this alternative art scene in this posh part of town.

They have re-opened on May 12 with a new program almost every month which includes exhibitions, the temporary mini shop and a new canteen. Live music is also on the program with local bands to introduce themselves to a (new) audience.

The Beatburger canteen has transformed into the Burgertrut with a different menu which includes tapas and of course burgers in the vegetarian and organic meat varieties.

The prices are nice to the purse and the food is tasty.It has special Sunday brunches now and then and i like to hang out there with a bunch of friends, chat, munch on a cupcake or organize a (guerilla)knitting brunch session.

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Roodkapje ROT(T)TERDAM | Art & culture, Cinemas, Festivals & events, Music, Shopping | Free
Meent 119-133 | Center | +31102439800
Wed – Fri 11:00 – 18:00, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 17:00 (Expo)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam