ROTTERDAM, 22 January 2026 – MOMO Festival 2026 is bringing back its Black Box residency, with Rotterdam artist NÉNÉ developing a new work that blends Afrofuturism, textiles and wearable art. You can visit the three-day residency from 16 to 18 April 2026 in Rotterdam city centre.
The set-up is deliberately process-first: NÉNÉ gets time, space and budget to research and experiment inside an empty “Black Box” room that can be shaped entirely around the work in progress, with visitors invited to step in and experience it as it develops.
Black Box residency opens in Rotterdam city centre on 16–18 April
Across the three days, the residency is presented as part of the wider MOMO Festival programme, which runs from Thursday 16 April to Saturday 18 April 2026 across multiple Rotterdam locations. The residency itself is described as being open to the public in the centre of Rotterdam. NÉNÉ’s practice spans painting, installations and spatial exploration, using Afrofuturism as a way to look at history and the present day, including how colonial structures continue to shape contemporary life.
Wearable art explores identity, protest and Ghana research
During the residency, NÉNÉ focuses on current developments around anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in parts of Africa, connecting that research to time spent in Ghana and to textile practices studied there. From that context, the project includes a collaboration with Ghanaian visual artists and fashion designers Neal and Kwasi, resulting in wearable artworks designed to carry stories, identities and gestures of protest through textile symbolism.
Motel Mozaïque frames the residency as a space where artists can experiment and take risks without being pushed into delivering a final product on a deadline, with the creative process made visible and accessible to visitors.
MOMO Festival 2026 tickets go on sale via motelmozaique.nl
MOMO Festival takes place from 16 to 18 April 2026, with passe-partout tickets priced at €100 and day tickets listed as Early Bird from €30. Tickets are available via motelmozaique.nl. The initial line-up list includes Obongjayar, Weval, Zimmer90, anaiis, BCUC, KABEAUSHÉ, Rival Consoles, Romy Liz Rose, Naima Bock, Nell Mescal, NÉNÉ, and others.
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