What happens when daylight disappears and Rotterdam lights up? Who moves through the streets, which places stay awake, which stories unfold while most of us sleep? In the exhibition 'Signed: Rotterdam! Night workIn this exhibition, city illustrators Tessa Biemans, Peyman Fazeli, and Steef Offerhaus each offer their own perspective on this theme. Commissioned by the Rotterdam City Archives and CBK Rotterdam, the city illustrators set out over the past few months to capture the theme 'night in motion'. The final result can be seen at Kunsthal Rotterdam starting Saturday, October 17.
The assembled drawings in Signed: Rotterdam! Night work offer fragmented glimpses into the many faces of the Rotterdam night. Together, they form a snapshot of a city that is constantly in motion, even in the dark.
Tessa Biemans
The work of Tessa Biemans (1988) exudes atmosphere. The many chalk drawings she created as city artist together form a mosaic of Rotterdam at night: steaming bodies on a dance floor, the flashing lights of a passing ambulance, and the Maas illuminated by the moon. Everyday scenes alternate with mysterious depictions, populated by shadows and other supernatural beings. In this way, Biemans creates space in her work for what remains hidden in daylight.
Peyman Fazeli
Peyman Fazeli (1984) works from a black background, upon which he applies light using refined drawings in pencil and charcoal. For Peyman, this is not only a choice of material but also a way of thinking. The night changes what is visible and thereby shifts attention. This is also evident in the work he created as a city draughtsman: luminous clouds, the glow of a lamppost, or a bright spotlight cause various scenes to emerge from the darkness.
Image: Nocturne with Cat. Pencil. Peyman Fazeli, 2026
Steef Offerhaus
Steef Offerhaus (1994) is no stranger to Rotterdam's nightlife. He previously worked as a designer and organizer in the club scene. As a city artist, he therefore had a clear idea of what he wanted to capture. Recently, he followed various communities into the night, including taxi drivers, graffiti writers, and snack bar staff. He translated the experiences he gained there into a number of collages. Offerhaus's work creates a psychedelic universe: with a spontaneous style, he tells a torrent of stories that unfold like a nocturnal trip.
Image: Collage about the nocturnal life of homeless people in Rotterdam, depicted in an associative collage, 2026, Steef Offerhaus
Rotterdam city draftsmen
Even before the bombing of May 14, 1940, but especially during the reconstruction, draughtsmen documented the changes in the city. Until the late 80s, the Rotterdam City Archives commissioned draughtsmen annually. Since 2018, this tradition has been revived in collaboration with CBK Rotterdam, and city draughtsmen continue to add to the collection of the Rotterdam City Archives. This year, the city draughtsmen were selected by a jury consisting of artist Pris Roos, Cindy Stegeman and Ove Lucas (CBK Rotterdam), Erika Hokke and Anna de Bruyn (Rotterdam City Archives), Thys Boer (N8W8 Rotterdam), and David Snels (curator Kunsthal Rotterdam). After the exhibition concludes, the city draughtsmen's drawings will be incorporated into the City Archives' collection and become part of Collectie Rotterdam.
Image at the top: Two people dancing at a nighttime party in Rotterdam, 2026, Tessa Biemans