This summer, the Kunsthal will be exhibiting a photographic series on the snack stand. Various photographers have been inspired by this European form of snack culture and its improvised architecture.
In over 50 photographs, they pay homage to these colourful structures we often pass without noticing. Internationalisation and all manner of legislation are threatening to banish the vernacular chip stand from the streetscape. The Belgians regard the snack stall as part of their national heritage and there is a campaign underway to have them placed as national monuments and listed as cultural heritage.
Photo series about fast-food architecture
The fast-food stand is a meeting point for the wee hours or on summer days, but in the drizzle they look more than a little forlorn. The Kunsthal will be showing both sides of the snack wagon, popular and desolate. The exhibition comprises photographs from the eighties to the present day taken by photographers that include Christoph Buckstegen (Germany); Marko Hämäläinen (Finland); Paul Ilegems ( Belgium); Martin Kers (the Netherlands) and Jenny Nordquist (UK/Zweden). The Kunsthal holds regular exhibitions on culinary themes. In 2006, the second edition of KunsthalKOOKT (KunsthalCOOKING), Festival of Real Taste, is scheduled for 7 to 10 September. This exhibition was organised in association with the Finnish Cultural Centre for the Benelux in Antwerp and the Goethe Institute in Brussels. The exhibition entitled 'The Culture of Fast-food Architecture' is to close appropriately with activities for youngsters as part of the 'September in Rotterdam' event.
