What is the Netherlands?
Innovation at the World Expo 1851 – now
In the context of the 34th World Expo opening in Milan this spring, Het Nieuwe Instituut approaches this phenomenon from different perspectives with three exhibitions between April 26 and August 23, 2015. From the at times extremely sober and at others downright over-the-top pavilions the Netherlands has put together over the last hundred years, to the great influence of glass on our progress, and a glimpse into a future with living machines.
What is the Netherlands?
14 Dutch entries to the World Expo
In the exhibition What is the Netherlands? curator Stephan Petermann (AMO, part of OMA, the office of Rem Koolhaas) outlines a portrait of 14 Dutch contributions to the World Expo since 1910. AMO transforms the 14 radically different pavilions into a series of models of the same scale, which for the first time creates an overview and offers possibilities for new analysis. The exhibition also features highlights from the presentations within the pavilions, including a mural by Karel Appel and a windmill built with Meccano toys, alongside a series of chairs from the pavilions, revealing striking developments in Dutch design. What is the Netherlands? shows how the Dutch entries each time were the product of a collaboration between government, industry, designers and artists.
Exhibition ‘What is the Netherlands?’
Het Nieuwe Instituut
Museumpark 25, Rotterdam
April 26 through August 23, 2015