Art, Culture

ART ROTTERDAM 2021 First European international art fair

[by Irma Heuven]

First European international art fair

From 1 to 4 July 2021, Art Rotterdam will experience its twenty-second edition in the iconic Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Corona proof. Acces without testing.

For the first time during summer. Outside, but also inside on a floor space of more than 10,000 m2, more than 100 galleries are showing the work of up-and-coming artists and established talent.


Art Rotterdam 2021

Will be the first international art fair in Europe to reopen its doors and
guarantee its visitors a safe and responsible tour.
Collectors and art lovers are excited and are looking forward to this unique summer edition,
according to Fons Hof, director of Art Rotterdam.
For those who would like to take a sneak preview: from June 24th onwards, the Art Rotterdam catalog will be
online on GalleryViewer.

Safe and responsible visit guaranteed

Art Rotterdam 2021 will follow the latest measures of the RIVM and the protocol of the Museum Association. A face mask and one and a half meters distance are mandatory and tickets with a start time are only available online. Only a limited number of people will get access per hour. Once inside, the time is unlimited. There are no catering facilities on the exhibition floor. The organization is committed to offering the public, participants, and employees a safe, responsible, and inspiring summer edition. For example, the opening hours have been brought expanded to 10 a.m. and extended on Friday with an evening opening until 9 p.m. The security measures guarantee that the number of visitors, compared to other years, is only half as high.

NN Art Award 5-year anniversary

The summer edition of Art Rotterdam 2021 marks a special anniversary: ​​the five-year anniversary of the NN Art Award. Nationale-Nederlanden Group has been a partner of Art Rotterdam since 2017 and every year presents an incentive prize to a contemporary art talent with an authentic visual language and an innovative angle. These are artists who were trained in the Netherlands. Not only young talent is selected, but also more advanced artists. For this special edition, the art jury consists of Imara Limon, curator Amsterdam Museum, Reyn van der Lugt, collector, Suzanne Swarts, director Museum Voorlinden, Koen Taselaar, artist and nominee NN Art Award 2020, Elisah van den Bergh, curator NN Art Collection.

NN Art Audience Award

The twenty-second edition of Art Rotterdam is the edition of the scoops. The public can vote for the four nominees. The public favorite will receive a cash prize of €5,000. Interviews with the nominees can be found on NN.nl/artaward

From 3 June onwards you can start voting for the NN Art Audience Award on the same site. Another possibility is to vote in the NN Art Award booth during the fair. The winner of the NN Art Award Audience Award 2021 will be announced by Dailah Nihot, a member of the Management Board NN Group, via a Livestream on the closing day of the fair, Sunday 4 July, at 3:00 PM  

Outdoor Art 

Art Rotterdam 2021 has a summary character. In the outdoor area, leading galleries and project spaces present a record number of impressive outdoor works.Trendbeheer’ welcomes the visitor with a site-specific facade artwork by Marcha van den Hurk: from the windows of the Van Nelle factory, long flags, moved by the wind, hang with texts from detainees from the Penitentiary Institution De Schie. The flags include quotes, slogans, wishes, and messages to loved ones. When there is no wind, the texts on the canvases are legible. When the wind blows, the flags wave back to the penitentiary on the other side, as it were. The wind creates an overwhelming, dramatic overall picture.

Prospects-Mondriaan Fund is showing talent

During Art Rotterdam, the Mondriaan Fund presents the ninth edition of Prospects with work by artists who recently received a contribution to start their professional practice. 74 artists are taking part in this exhibition. As in 2020, the guest curator is Johan Gustavsson, co-director 1646, The Hague; board member The Naked and Page Not Found and teacher at the KABK. In order to realize this exhibition in a safe way in times of corona, Prospects can be seen this year not only in the former Distribution Center but also in the Schiehal opposite the entrance of Art Rotterdam and on the outside area of ​​the Van Nelle factory. Tom Postma Design agency has been in charge

Rotterdam Art Week 2021

This edition, Art Rotterdam is once again the pivot of the Rotterdam Art Week, which has since grown into a must for art, design, and architecture enthusiasts. By joining forces, another great program has been put together for visitors to the Rotterdam Art Week. During this edition, there are countless special openings of exhibitions in museums and art institutions, guided tours, pop-up shows, fairs, and open studios, all of which enhance and enliven the art climate in the city. The complete program can be seen at: Rotterdamartweek.nl

About Art Rotterdam

Art Rotterdam is a renowned and surprisingly varied art fair. Every year, this event offers a stage for the latest developments in the visual arts. The sharp focus on young art, the variety of the different sections, the connection with the city of Rotterdam, and the fascinating location give Art Rotterdam a unique appearance. For more and more art lovers, Art Rotterdam is an attractive alternative within the international field of art fairs and attracts more visitors from home and abroad every year. The online catalog of Art Rotterdam can be viewed on GalleryViewer prior to the fair. This catalog includes all works of art exhibited by the galleries, including the price range. A short biography, videos, and recommendations are included for each artist.

GalleryViewer is Art Rotterdam’s online platform that supports potential art buyers with a future art purchase. The site maintains an extensive database of artworks, exhibitions, and artist profiles. More than 45 participating galleries have been selected for their high-quality range. GalleryViewer, which strives for transparency and education for a wide audience, informs online and stimulates the real art experience that takes place in the gallery.

An overview of the participants: Artrotterdam.com/nl/galeries/

Safe visit/how it works: Artrotterdam.com/nl/practical-information/

Art Rotterdam

Van Nelle Factory Van Nelleweg 1

3044 BC | Rotterdam

The catalog will be published one week prior to the show at: GalleryViewer.com

Tickets are only available online | € 22.50 per ticket | via Artrotterdam.com

Don t wait too long to get access to your favorite day and time. Due to the current measures, it will be fully booked in a heartbeat.

Corona proof | access without testing.

  • Thursday 1 July 10am – 7pm 
  • Friday 2 July 10am – 9pm 
  • Saturday 3 July 10am – 7pm 
  • Sunday, July 4, 10am – 7pm

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