Crafting New Narratives: a new addition to Kruispunt Rotterdam

FROM 1 MARCH 2025 | Wereldmuseum Rotterdam expands its Kruispunt Rotterdam exhibition with a new section, Crafting New Narratives, opening on 1 March. The expansion introduces four contemporary artists whose works explore identity, heritage, and craftsmanship in a changing world.

_{Photo credit: Roel van Tour}

New gallery Crafting New Narratives opens at Wereldmuseum

From 1 March, Wereldmuseum Rotterdam will expand its ongoing exhibition Kruispunt Rotterdam with the addition of Crafting New Narratives, a newly created gallery featuring four contemporary artists. The exhibition highlights new perspectives on heritage, craftsmanship, and migration, demonstrating how historical narratives continue to evolve.

The new works by artists Amy Suo Wu, Hatutamelen, Chequita Nahar, and Funda Baysal are presented as part of Kruispunt Rotterdam, a collection that explores craftsmanship across time and geography. The exhibition aims to show how objects, materials, and artistic traditions are connected across cultures. Each artist’s work engages with themes of identity, cultural legacy, and the reinterpretation of traditional crafts.

Contemporary artists bring new perspectives

Each of the featured artists in Crafting New Narratives merges traditional craftsmanship with contemporary art forms to tell stories rooted in cultural heritage and personal experience.

• Amy Suo Wu incorporates textiles and traditional handcraft techniques to explore intergenerational trauma and healing.
• Hatutamelen revisits Moluccan wood carving, giving traditional motifs a contemporary interpretation.
• Chequita Nahar works with Surinamese crafting traditions, embedding storytelling into her jewellery and art objects.
• Funda Baysal integrates ceramics with digital techniques, transforming sound and movement into tangible forms.

Together, their works highlight the enduring significance of craftsmanship as a means of storytelling, transformation, and reinterpretation.

The role of craftsmanship in Wereldmuseum’s collection

Craftsmanship has long played a central role in cultures worldwide, and the collection at Wereldmuseum Rotterdam reflects this deeply rooted tradition. The artefacts on display, originating from different regions and time periods, share a common thread: each was created by a maker—whether centuries ago or in recent history.

Maken (craftsmanship) serves as a means of expressing ideas, emotions, and cultural identity, fostering a sense of community and continuity. Whether through preserving traditions, passing down knowledge, or leaving behind a legacy, crafting is an integral part of cultural history. Crafting New Narratives builds upon this theme, exploring the creative practices embedded in the museum’s collection. While the identities of many historical makers remain unknown, their craftsmanship and artistic signatures remain visible in the details of their work.

Rotterdam as a crossroads of cultures

Kruispunt Rotterdam continues to explore how contemporary artists draw upon historical craftsmanship, creative traditions, and knowledge represented in the Wereldmuseum collection. Through their interpretations, new connections emerge between the city, its diverse communities, and the global influences that shape them. With the addition of Crafting New Narratives, the exhibition remains a dynamic space that reflects Rotterdam’s cultural diversity and evolving artistic landscape.

Location and directions

Wereldmuseum Rotterdam is centrally located along the Maas, near the Erasmus Bridge. The museum is easily accessible by tram, metro, and bike, with parking available nearby. Visitors can explore Kruispunt Rotterdam and its new gallery Crafting New Narratives from 1 March.