Kunsthal

The Kunsthal Rotterdam is a striking modernist pavilion designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, which opened its doors in 1992. It is located in the Museumpark of Rotterdam.

The Kunsthal is an exhibition center without its own collections. Therefore, in practical terms, it is not a museum. Instead, it hosts temporary exhibitions in the field of art and culture.

Kunsthal often experiments with themes that can give rise to an exhibition. Some of these diverse exhibitions cover topics such as lingerie, Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, James Bond, graphic design, The Hague School of painters, Eastern jewelry, postcards, impressionism, or Blackfoot Indian culture.

Its large space allows for up to five simultaneous exhibitions. As a result, the museum presents around 25 different exhibitions each year.

As an anecdote, in 2012, several artworks were stolen from the Kunsthal during an exhibition called “Avant-Gardes,” which featured 150 works of modern and contemporary art.

The stolen artworks were never recovered, and their value was estimated at around 15 million euros. One of the stolen works was Picasso’s “Tete d’Arlequin” from 1971. The other stolen works included two by Claude Monet (“Charing Cross Bridge” and “Waterloo Bridge”), one by Paul Gauguin (“Femme devant une fenetre ouverte”), one by Henri Matisse (“La Liseuse en Blanc et Jaune”), one by Lucian Freud (“Woman with Eyes Closed”), and one by Meyer de Haan (“Self-Portrait”).

Among other activities, Kunsthal organizes conferences and workshops for children and attracts over 450,000 visitors annually.

It is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Kunsthal. Museumpark, Westzeedijk 341, 3015 AA Rotterdam

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