ROTTERDAM, 1 February 2026 – Rotterdam’s three major visual arts prizes are joining forces under one name: De Rotterdamse Kunstprijzen. On Tuesday 21 April, mayor Carola Schouten will present the Brutus Prize, the Hendrik Chabot Prize and the Dolf Henkes Prize in Rotterdam City Hall.
The organisers say the idea is simple: bring more attention to distinctive, high-quality art in Rotterdam by presenting the awards together, while still keeping each prize focused on a different kind of practice and career stage.
Joint ceremony at Rotterdam City Hall
The first combined presentation takes place on 21 April 2026 from 16:00 to 17:00 at Rotterdam City Hall, followed by a reception. Around the ceremony, work by laureates and nominees will be shown across Rotterdam, including at the Chabot Museum and at Brutus, with public programming linked to the Dolf Henkes Prize led by TENT Rotterdam.
Brutus prize adds new criticism oeuvre award
The Brutus Prize has been awarded since 2019 to an artist with an outspoken, unconventional practice. The prize includes €4,000, a sculpture, and a solo exhibition at Brutus in 2027 (date to be announced).
From 2026, Brutus will also award a yearly oeuvre prize for art criticism, recognising an author or critic whose writing on visual art stands out. That award includes €2,500 and a sculpture, selected by a jury chaired by Edo Dijksterhuis. Both Brutus awards will be announced and presented on 21 April in City Hall, and are offered by Brutus initiator and artist Joep van Lieshout.
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Chabot prize nominees set for Museumpark show
The Hendrik Chabot Prize is aimed at artists who have contributed in a distinctive way to Rotterdam’s art and the city’s art climate. It comes with €10,000 and an exhibition.
For the 2026 edition, the nominees are Silvia B., Evelyn Taocheng Wang and Anne Wenzel. Their work will be shown at Chabot Museum Rotterdam from 12 April to 13 September 2026. A publication will accompany the exhibition, including the jury report, and the museum says the full programme will be published in mid-March via Chabotmuseum.nl.
Dolf Henkes prize focuses on city-based practices
The Dolf Henkes Prize is worth €12,000 and is intended as a stimulus for Rotterdam-based artists with an outspoken, relevant practice. The 2026 edition is dedicated to social art practices and how artists actively relate to the city.
The jury, made up of Jeanne van Heeswijk, Leana Boven and Charlien Adriaenssens, selected nominees working with self-organisation, solidarity and collective storytelling. The nominees are Jaasir Linger, WORKNOT! (Golnar Abbasi and Arvand Pourabbasi) and Snackbar Frieda. TENT Rotterdam will run public activities linked to the prize, with a wider programme scheduled for a period of three weeks before and three weeks after 21 April, with exact dates and locations to be shared via Tentrotterdam.nl.
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Rotterdam institutions behind the collaboration
The organisers frame Rotterdam art prizes (De Rotterdamse Kunstprijzen) as a shared platform to spotlight Rotterdam artists at different points in their careers. The prizes work with local institutions including CBK Rotterdam, Chabot Museum, TENT Rotterdam and Brutus, with updates and programme additions promised from March 2026.
You can follow the combined initiative via www.rotterdamsekunstprijzen.nl. For prize-specific information, the organisers point to Brutus.nl, Chabotmuseum.nl, Tentrotterdam.nl, Cbkrotterdam.nl, and Brutus itself for updates on the Brutus Prize and the new criticism award.
