With over 2200 registered artists, Art Office is the hub of the Rotterdam art world. The group exhibition Don't forget to check in! For the first time, we are presenting a selection of projects that we have financially supported in recent years.
Half of these projects took place outside Rotterdam. Driven by new collaborations and cultural environments, the artists packed their bags to take back filled with new stories and skills. Through performances, workshops, videos, and installations, the exhibition invites the public to reflect on the mobility of the artist and the idea of Rotterdam locality. Which stories shape the city, and where do we find ourselves within this network of places?
Checking in with the Rotterdam public
Don't forget to check in! presents twenty projects by Rotterdam artists, each shaped by a relationship with a place outside Rotterdam. This manifests itself, for example, through the use of local materials, such as in Matilde Patuelli's sculptural Japanese clay roof tiles; in the form of historical reflection, such as in Sarojini Lewis's field research into the colonial history of her ancestors in Suriname; or in dialogue, as Ari David explores the theme of fatigue across borders in his audio archive. The diversity of destinations and practices reflects the global connections being forged. During Rotterdam Art Week, the baggage will be unpacked, and Art Office will bring these projects back to their home base to check in with the Rotterdam public.
Image: Intaglio, Maurik Stomps © Lavina Xausa
Participating artists
The exhibition is curated by Marlene Deutinger and includes, in addition to ongoing work, a reading corner with artistic publications and a dedicated program of workshops and performances. The numerous connections established by Art Office are also visually presented in the form of a large-scale world map created by Theodor Reinhardt (JunkspaceoddityParticipating artists are: Funda Baysal, Jack Caleb, Ari David, Clem Edwards, Kazuma Eekman, Maria Beautiful, Laura Grimm, Anna Kolbe, Alice Ladenburg, Saroji Lewis, Flo Meijer, Ciska Meister, Matilde Patuellic, Niels Post, Suelae Robinson, Maurik Stomps, Marika Vandekraats, Yin Yin Wong, What A Mess (Pedro Gil Farias & Hugo Pilate), Gamze Ronald (Gamze Öztürk & Ronald Bal).
Image: Fables of Water and Stone, Matilde Patuelli © Maan Limburg
Workshops, performance and finissage
Workshop
Saturday, March 28, 13:00-17:00 PM
Sewing Wild Seeds: Preserving Antigua's Seedwork Legacy
Workshop by Suelae Robinson
Seedwork is a traditional craft technique from the Caribbean island of Antigua, where jewelry and accessories are made by sewing seeds together. With roots in African seed crafts, the women of Antigua developed specific patterns found nowhere else. Although seedwork has existed for centuries, it is threatened with extinction because only three women master the technique. In this workshop, you will learn to make a simple seedwork bracelet and contribute to the preservation of this intangible heritage.
Drop-in workshop: You can join anytime between 13:00 PM and 17:00 PM. Making a bracelet takes about 20 minutes.
Performance
Sunday, March 29, 16:00 PM, 60 minutes
Psalm for a Hungry Ghost
Performance by Yin Yin Wong
Psalm for a Hungry Ghost offers an intimate look at the often-unseen lives of Chinese restaurant owners. With a blend of comedy, one-woman showmanship, and contemporary art performance, PSALM plays with preconceptions about a silent diaspora and paints a portrait of a flawed male archetype.
The performance will take place in the exhibition space. Please arrive on time, as doors will close after the performance begins.
Workshop
Saturday, April 4, 13:00-16:30 PM
Welcome /aliens – Opposing Monsters
Workshop by Gamze Ronald
Following their installation Computer Says Home – A Fabric of Homes In their workshop, the artist duo Gamze Ronald asks how we can combat monsters in our communities by welcoming others. Using creative methods, participants will learn to recognize and embrace their unique qualities—the qualities they consider their own. Together, they will redefine how to express their "alien" nature, create a second home for diverse skills, and invite those who may feel alien. By placing their differences on a pedestal, Gamze Ronald strives to create an entity that challenges a world full of division and monstrosity.
Fixed starting time, no walk-in
Workshop
Sunday, April 5, 12:00-16:00
How do you see through the eyes of a fish?
Workshop by Marika Vandekraats
The workshop is an introduction to the world of fly tying, a craft that uses thread to attach materials like feathers and shiny plastic to a hook to mimic insects and catch fish. The session offers a brief introduction to speculative thinking about how a fish might "see" a hook, taking into account water temperature, seasons, coastlines, and local biology. Visitors will sketch a crochet pattern, which Vandekraats will then attempt to recreate on a hook. Together, we will discuss the ecologies found in waters and imagine what it looks like deep beneath the surface.
Drop-in workshop: you can join at any time between 12:00 and 16:00.
Finissage
Sunday, April 5, 16:00–17:00 PM, doors open at 15:30 PM
Panel Discussion: Checking in with Suelae Robinson, Maurik Stomps, Ciska Meister, Alice Ladenburg en Laura Grimm
To conclude Don't forget to check in!, participating artists Suelae Robinson, Maurik Stomps, Ciska Meister, and Alice Ladenburg, along with curator Marlene Deutinger, reflect on their contributions to the exhibition. With the help of funding from Art Office, they were each able to realize a project outside Rotterdam's city limits. The conversation offers insight into the artists' work process and explores the experiences they gained during their travels and the added value they brought to their practice. How will they bring these experiences back to Rotterdam?
The discussion will be moderated by Nicole Sciarone. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for drinks and a chat.
Information workshops and performances
Location: C3 studios, GYM Space
Language: English with optional Dutch translation for the workshops
Registration: All events are free and no registration is required.
Image: without start, without end, Jake Caleb
About Art Office
Art Office is a program of CBK Rotterdam and supports visual artists in Rotterdam through financial schemes Impulse & Deepening (I&V) (I&V) and the Practical ContributionI&V offers compensation for time spent on innovative or in-depth activities within a defined period, while the Practical Contribution covers (part of) the fee for public art projects that strengthen professional practice. More than 200 projects are supported each calendar year.
Practical information
Date: March 26 to April 5, 2026
Time: Daily 11:00 AM - 18:00 PM
Location: C 3-studios, Huismanstraat 30, Rotterdam
Accessibility: the exhibition is wheelchair accessible
Free access
The opening will take place on March 25th from 18:00 PM. You're welcome!