ROTTERDAM, 3 March 2026 – Kunsthal Rotterdam has closed Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses after a record run that drew 281,033 visitors, including 30% first-time Kunsthal visitors. The exhibition ran for 22 weeks and presented more than 100 creations, tracking how Van Herpen keeps pushing the boundaries of haute couture.
Image: Iris van Herpen: Scultping the Senses. Kunsthal Rotterdam. Photo: Marco De Swart
The show’s popularity was reflected in audience feedback too, with visitors scoring it 9.2 out of 10 on average in Kunsthal’s survey.
Where the exhibition goes next
After Rotterdam, the exhibition travels to the Brooklyn Museum in New York, where it is scheduled to open on 16 May.
Back in Museumpark, Kunsthal says HALL 2 is now being prepared for Flowers Forever, a cultural-historical retrospective about flowers featuring more than 200 objects from art, design, fashion and science. Flowers Forever is set to open on Friday 27 March, during Rotterdam Art Week.
A red carpet opening weekend in Rotterdam
Iris van Herpen attended the opening weekend in Rotterdam and took part in public programmes, including a sold-out artist talk and a book signing. Kunsthal also held an opening breakfast with its main partner Nationale-Nederlanden.
The red carpet opening on Saturday 27 September was organised with media partner Vogue Netherlands, and Kunsthal says it generated wide attention on social media. The museum highlights that guests appeared in Iris van Herpen looks, including Becky G, Maan de Steenwinkel, Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing and Nyane.
That evening, the exhibition was celebrated with an opening performance by light artist Nick Verstand and dancer Madoka Kariya.
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Rotterdam events that kept the programme moving
Kunsthal links the exhibition’s momentum to a strong run of accompanying activities and collaborations. This included multiple editions of Friday Night LIVE, the Kunsthal’s monthly evening event curated each time by a Rotterdam partner.
Two Friday Night LIVE editions were dedicated specifically to Sculpting the Senses, curated by De Wasserij and Fashion in Flux. The programme also included lectures by de Vrije Academie, workshops by SKVR, guided tours including one in Dutch Sign Language, and a sensory-friendly visit.
One of the more unusual nights was Naked Night, where more than 200 visitors experienced the exhibition nude.
Image: Iris van Herpen: Scultping the Senses. Kunsthal Rotterdam. Photo: Marco De Swart
A podcast tie-in that expanded the audience
Alongside the exhibition, Nationale-Nederlanden launched the Dutch-language podcast series Het geheim van Iris van Herpen, hosted by presenter Splinter Chabot, who spoke with experts, admirers, and Iris van Herpen herself. Kunsthal says the series held a top ten position for months in Dutch art and culture podcast rankings. A live episode, Het geheim van Iris van Herpen LIVE, took place at Kunsthal on 7 February, recorded with an audience present.
The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other major platforms.
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The numbers behind the record run
Kunsthal has shared a snapshot of what the 22-week run looked like in practice:
- Total visitors: 281,033
- Educational visits: 8,407 school children and students
- Guided tours: 693
- Pop-up shop catalogues sold: over 5,500
The exhibition was organised by Kunsthal Rotterdam in close collaboration with Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, and Atelier Iris van Herpen, based on the original exhibition design developed in Paris.
