Step into the fascinating world of science fiction and discover the ongoing human quest for the unknown – on our own planet and in a remote part of the universe. More than 850 unique objects show the incredible imagination and inventiveness of the human mind. Travel through time and space with film clips and video installations, rare manuscripts and drawings, books and comics, art and design, and admire the many costumes, masks, models and props from film classics like Star Wars, Star Trek and Godzilla.
‘The Anarchist Citizenship. Ode to Youthful Daredevils’ is a project by the researcher Amal Alhaag (1983) and the socially committed artist Nadine Stijns (1977) about the people of Somaliland. Since 1991, this territory in northwest Somalia has been operating as a self-declared independent state. In ‘The Anarchist Citizenship’, the duo researches how the Somalilanders are giving shape to their citizenship through fashion, architecture, friendship and culture. In collaboration with the depicted women, young people and other locals – often acting as art directors – Stijns and Alhaag manage to capture the unique visual culture of the Somalilanders in their photographs. Shown on silk fabric and plexiglass, the dozens of colourful photographs present an image that is much more nuanced and varied than dominant western views would suggest.
In the spring of 2019, the Kunsthal Rotterdam will be presenting ‘Trouble in Paradise’, an extraordinary selection of contemporary art works from the private collection of art collector Rattan Chadha (1949, Delhi), the founder of Mexx and the hotel chain citizenM. This private collection – known as the KRC Collection – will be presented at the Kunsthal to a wide audience for the very first time. Rattan Chadha has selected works of art that reflect on human inadequacies, respond to the state of our society and inspire a sense of commitment to the world around us. At the heart of his collection is the human condition, with art that gets under your skin. From sex, drugs and rock ’n roll to deep melancholy and abstraction. In short: ‘Trouble in Paradise’!