From 28 – 30 March 2025, the Mondriaan Fund is organising a new edition of Prospects during Art Rotterdam. The exhibition takes place at the new location Rotterdam Ahoy and shows the work of 116 starting artists. All artists received a financial contribution in 2023 within the Artist Start grant of the Mondriaan Fund to kickstart their career. The 13th edition of Prospects has been curated by curators Johan Gustavsson and Louise Bjeldbak Henriksen.

The Mondriaan Fund organises the ‘Prospects’ exhibition each year to give the visibility of starting artists an extra boost. The proximity of Art Rotterdam gives art professionals and collectors, but also a broad group of interested parties, the opportunity to become acquainted with the work of these promising artists.

The exhibition is also an excellent opportunity to show what has been achieved in part thanks to a contribution from the Mondriaan Fund. An Artist Start contribution is intended for starting artists who have been working professionally for a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 4 years. The contribution can be used for anything related to the development of work and art practice, such as research, material, equipment and projects at home or abroad.

The 26th edition of Art Rotterdam will take place at the new venue Rotterdam Ahoy. Director Mondriaan Fund Eelco van der Lingen:

‘We look back on many valuable editions of Prospects at the Van Nellefabriek and look forward to the opportunities Ahoy offers for the potential and dynamics of Prospects and Art Rotterdam in the coming years. Renewal and change is part and parcel. What is then needed is a new generation to help us shape that renewal. And there is one every year at Prospects. The Mondriaan Fund is therefore happy to contribute through Prospects to give an extra impulse to the visibility of these promising starting artists.’

The exhibition is once again curated by curator Johan Gustavsson in collaboration with curator Louise Bjeldbak Henriksen. Gustavsson is co-director at 1646 and lecturer at KABK. Bjeldbak Henriksen is a freelance curator and independent researcher. She works on several projects with, among others, Kunstmuseum Den Haag and Museum Beelden aan Zee.

Gustavsson and Bjeldbak Henriksen on the exhibition:

‘The new location at Rotterdam Ahoy presents exciting opportunities as we host the largest edition of Prospects to date. Selected on merit for their exceptional talent, this dynamic and eclectic group of artists spans recent graduates to seasoned participants in prominent international exhibitions. This 13th edition celebrates a wide range of perspectives, with works that delve into themes of identity, belonging, and our evolving relationship with nature and history, while also pushing the formal boundaries of contemporary media. It is a privilege to bring together such a diverse group, reflecting the richness of today’s art landscape in the Netherlands.’

Installation photos: ©Aad Hoogendoorn / Individual photos: ©Tommy Smits