Rotterdam owes its origin and its name to the Rotte. By building a dam in the river where the Hoogstraat now runs. The Rotte has a total length of 18 kilometers and is an attractive river for locals to escape city life. And by 2025 the river is to become the first European cultural river.
During the opening of a exhibition by Henk Chabot (a painter who was greatly inspired by the river) Observatorium,Stichting Plezierrivier de Rotte (a foundation to promote the Rotte) and the Chabot Museum signed a joint mission statement to accomplish this. It is a promise for a more in-depth collaboration in the further development of the Rotte and its surroundings.
It states the area is a unique place and why it is important to continue to invest in the biodiversity and quality of the landscape. The Terbregseveld is the only place in the city where you still have a clear view of the horizon. A unique place where the artist Henk Chabot (1894-1949) once lived and worked. It is therefore also regarded as the Land of Chabot.
As an ode to this artist, the Chabot Museum and the artists’ group Observatorium have been campaigning for the preservation of this area as a protected vista and for telling the stories of the Rotte for some time now. Stories about historical figures, residents, special locations and fascinating views.
Painting with earth and air
A small exhibition has been set up in the viewpoint at the Bergse Linker Rottekade. It is the first idea and result of a collaboration between landscape designer Lotte Oppenhuis and Observatorium. They also turned this into a unique and one-off artist’s book that was donated to the Chabot Museum. It is on show amid the exhibition with highlights from Henk Chabot’s broad oeuvre. Those who would like to paint themselves with earth and air can visit the museum during Museumnacht010.
Observatorium,Stichting Plezierrivier de Rotte and the Chabot Museum consider the year 2025 as the provisional end point for the first cultural river in Europe. The completion should be a cultural event, showing how the redesign and destination of the Terbregseveld shines.
