FROM 20 NOV '26 - 9 SEP '27 | ROTTERDAM, 28 May 2026 – Wereldmuseum Rotterdam has announced Art of Indigenous Skateboarding, a new exhibition about Indigenous skateboarding cultures (Inheemse skateboardculturen) in North and South America. The exhibition brings photography, film, art and skateboard gear together to explore creativity, self-expression, community, identity and freedom.
Image: Imilla Skate. Photo: Luisa Dorr
The announcement comes during an international exchange week in Rotterdam, with skateboarders, makers and storytellers from Bolivia, the United States and the Netherlands taking part in meetings, skate sessions and cultural exchange.
Indigenous skateboarding in Rotterdam
Art of Indigenous Skateboarding will open at Wereldmuseum Rotterdam on 20 November 2026 and will be on view until 9 September 2027. The exhibition features work by more than twenty contemporary artists and Indigenous skateboarders.
The museum presents skateboarding as more than a sport. In this exhibition, it becomes a way to tell stories about identity, community, cultural connection and personal freedom.
International skateboarders visit the city
From 28 May, an international delegation is in Rotterdam for an exchange week connected to the exhibition. The group includes skateboarders whose work has reached the Emmy Awards, the Webby Awards and the Cannes Lions Festival.
Among the participants are Joselin Brenda Tinta Mamani and Mirian Estefanny Mamani Morales of the Bolivian collective ImillaSkate. The group is known from the documentary ImillaSkate: The Cholita Skaters of Bolivia.
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Imilla Skate joins the exchange
Imilla Skate has gained international attention for its mix of skateboarding, cultural identity and social impact. The collective has worked with organisations including Cirque du Soleil and Red Bull, and has been featured by NPR, The Guardian and Euronews.
The documentary about the collective has been nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Sports Feature category, won a Webby Award and has been selected for presentations during the Cannes Lions Festival.
Image: Imilla Skate. Photo: Luisa Dorr
Joe Horse Capture curates
A key role in the project is held by Joe Horse Capture, a curator from Los Angeles and Vice President of Native Collections at the Autry Museum of the American West. He has previously worked with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Art of Indigenous Skateboarding is being developed in collaboration with the Autry Museum in Los Angeles. Horse Capture’s involvement gives the Rotterdam exhibition a direct link to Indigenous curatorial practice in the United States.
Skate culture meets heritage
During the exchange week, participants share their experiences, work with local skateboarders and explore Rotterdam’s skate culture. The encounters and documentation from the week will later become part of the exhibition.
The project looks at skateboarding as living heritage. It connects sport, art, identity and community in a way that feels especially relevant in a city where movement, public space and cultural exchange are part of daily life.
Skateland hosts public event
A public skate event takes place at Skateland Rotterdam on Sunday 31 May from 16:00 to 21:00. International and local skateboarders come together for skate sessions, music and talks about their artistic practice.
The programme includes Cash for Tricks and Best Trick. Entry is free, giving visitors the chance to see the international participants in action and meet them in Rotterdam.
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Wereldmuseum ballroom becomes skate art
On Monday 1 June, the exchange continues inside Wereldmuseum Rotterdam. The museum’s ballroom is temporarily available because renovation work is planned and the existing floor will be replaced.
For one afternoon, the ballroom becomes a temporary skate space. By skating across the old floor, the participants turn the room into a living artwork where architecture, movement and skate culture meet.
Global stories meet local networks
Wereldmuseum Rotterdam works from global perspectives and in co-creation with communities around the world. With Art of Indigenous Skateboarding, the museum connects international makers from North and South America with Rotterdam’s local skate scene.
The exchange is meant to reach beyond the exhibition itself. It creates space for collaboration, shared networks and new perspectives on skateboarding as a cultural practice.
Practical information
The exchange week takes place from 28 May to 1 June 2026. Art of Indigenous Skateboarding is on view at Wereldmuseum Rotterdam from 20 November 2026 to 9 September 2027.
The public skate event takes place at Skateland Rotterdam on Sunday 31 May from 16:00 to 21:00. Skateland Rotterdam is located at Piekstraat 45, 3071 EL Rotterdam.
How to get there
Skateland Rotterdam is on Piekstraat in the Feijenoord area, close to the river and within cycling distance of the city centre. From Rotterdam Centraal, travel towards the south side of the city and continue by tram, metro, bike or taxi depending on your route.
