Rotterdam is provided with a network of billboards to promote local cultural events: exhibitions, concerts, festivals, etc. The billboards are often located in unattractive spots for public exposure (see previous post). Tunnels and bypasses, non-places or transit spaces, that we’re meant to move through as fast as possible.
With many cultural events canceled due to Corona, these posters became obsolete, announcing events that were unable to happen. The initiators of Publieke Werken – Public Works – came up with the idea to fill these spots with artworks. Via an open call, Rotterdam artists and designers were invited to offer a piece, over 400 in total. Posters were printed of the works and spread randomly throughout the city.
On the night of the opening, artists and their guests gathered at the location where their work was displayed. As visitors, a mobile DJ-set and foodtruck moved from location to location, therein becoming a traveling opening night. Thus, transforming transit spaces to public places and using art to enhance the space, offering a different perspective, a new way to explore Rotterdam, and offering innovative exposure for the varied creatives that call the city home.