The Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art at Witte de Withstraat 50 is an organisation for art. It has an international character and operates from Rotterdam. The organisation has been providing information to anyone who follows developments in the field of international contemporary art since 1990 and is considered one of the most important organisations for contemporary art in the Netherlands.
No less than three times a year, interested parties can view the works of both established artists and newcomers to the art world through the exhibitions. The institution also organises lectures and film screenings. The centre also has a good range of educational activities and publishes books.
Witte de With Center does not stand alone, and they share the building with TENT Rotterdam. A former school building houses the exhibition space in style.
Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art
Founded in 1990, the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art is an art centre to present and discuss the works of contemporary visual artists and cultural creators and is also a household name internationally. Its activities are therefore not limited to local artists, but also attract participants from the rest of the world. The centre also organises/gives commissions to artists and works on both educational and collaborative initiatives. As an organisation that mainly collaborates with artists and participants, allowing them to reflect on contemporary issues in a focused way, there is also ample attention for the past. As a non-profit organisation, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art also looks at the development of art. The organisation questions what art will look like in the future. This question is a challenge for artists. Involved participants also discuss a variety of cultural developments. Specialised conferences are held for this purpose. The subject, the clash of cultures, has been dealt with in the recent past. In the field of education, too, participants can enrich their knowledge. For example, a training course in collective learning was intended to teach young people in Rotterdam skills through a six-month education and work programme.
TENT Rotterdam
In the same building, you will find the TENT platform. This platform shows contemporary art, with a connection to the city of Rotterdam. Extra space is available for to local artists, partners and other initiatives.
It is cozy in the Witte de Withstraat
In the past, Witte de Withstraat was a hotbed of vague pubs, illegal gambling and prostitution. The locals stayed away, and women didn’t dare to walk the streets alone in the dark. Nowadays it is for many people the cosiest street of Rotterdam with lovely terraces, bars for young and old, shops and art galleries.
Official announcement of Witte de With Center
Witte de With Center has announced that the name has been revoked with effect from 27 June 2020. This has to do with the colonial past of the name bearer, Witte Cornelizoon de With. The Center for Contemporary Art had been working on this for some time. Until the Center presents the new name, everyone is still welcome in the centre. We will inform you when the new name is presented.
