The exhibition 40 years Summer Carnival at Kunsthal Rotterdam marks the 40th anniversary of one of the largest and most exuberant celebrations in the Netherlands. Each year over 2,500 dancers, 25 carnival groups liven up the centre of Rotterdam during the street parade, which also includes the presentation of the traditionally elected royalty: the Queen and — since 2022 — King. On the basis of photographs, videos, music, posters, and extravagant carnival costumes, the exhibition guides you through the history of this festive event.
The Dutch Summer Carnival first started as an Antillean carnival celebration in the city of Utrecht in 1982. Two years later, the Summer Carnival found a new home in Rotterdam, where it evolved into a multicultural celebration. Today, groups from no less than twenty-five different cultural backgrounds are annually taking part in this colourful event that takes place in Rotterdam’s inner city. The exhibition 40 Years Summer Carnival connects past and present, and showcases the community’s creativity as the driving force behind the event.
The many faces of Summer Carnival
Especially for the exhibition, director Ashley Röttjers and creative producer Robbert Doelwijt created a multi-channel video-installation that pays tribute to the rich diversity of both the carnival and the city of Rotterdam. Interviews with important voices from the community — including dancers, musicians, costume makers, and former Summer Carnival Queens — capture the community behind the Summer Carnival. Historical footage by photographers Peter Martens and Robert de Hartogh is alternated with brand-new work by the artist Tarona (1985), which will be shown for the first time during this exhibition. Her photographs, printed on large canvases, zoom in on the countless details in the costumes, highlighting the craftsmanship of the costume makers. The work on some of these colourful, extravagant outfits, that often reference various elements from nature, can for instance take up to a year. The exhibition’s highlight is a group of costumes — worn during previous street parades that visitors can admire from up close.
About Rotterdam Summer Carnival
The organisation of the Summer Carnival is the responsibility of the Stichting Zomercarnaval and Bureau Vermaeck, united under the name Rotterdam Unlimited Zomercarnaval (Rotterdam Unlimited Summer Carnival). The aim of the Summer Carnival is to bring people from many different cultures together through tropical carnival expressions, similar to those in the Antilles. The first edition of the event took place in Utrecht in 1982 and 1983, where a number of Antillean carnival societies from Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Amsterdam organised a parade on the Jaarbeursplein square. Since 1984, the Summer Carnival has been held in Rotterdam where it evolved into an event of great importance to the city. Since December 2023 the Summer Carnival Rotterdam has been added to the international UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This year’s annual Royalty Election will take place on 6 July. The Mercado and the Street Parade will take place on 27 July
Press
