From 5 July to 23 November 2025 | Kunsthal Rotterdam will host Cute, an exhibition delving into the cultural and social significance of cuteness. Running from 5 July to 23 November 2025, it highlights kawaii, internet memes, and design.
CUTE exhibition to examine the power and complexity of cuteness
Kunsthal Rotterdam will present the exhibition CUTE from 5 July to 23 November 2025, inviting the public to reflect on how visual charm influences perceptions, culture, and behaviour. The exhibition investigates how ‘cuteness’ has emerged as a potent cultural force, capable of both soothing and subverting.
Originating from Somerset House in London and co-curated with Kunsthal Rotterdam, the exhibition brings together more than fifty artists and collectives from around the world. These include Takashi Murakami, KAWSxCampana, Sejoon Kim, Aya Takano, and Mark Leckey. Their works explore how cuteness intersects with identity, gender, nostalgia, and technology.
Exploring five dimensions of cuteness
The exhibition is structured around five thematic zones: Cry Baby, Play Together, Monstrous Other, Sugar-Coated Pill, and Hypersonic. Each theme reveals a different aspect of cuteness, ranging from comforting and innocent to unsettling or ambiguous.
One example is Graphic Thought Facility’s AI-generated cat portraits, which appear charming at first glance but suggest artificial eeriness upon closer inspection. Meanwhile, Ram Han’s gleaming digital illustrations address feminine identity through futuristic aesthetics, and Aya Takano’s paintings explore the fragile boundary between childhood and sci-fi.
Rotterdam-based design duo Supertoys Supertoys also contribute to the exhibition, providing both original works and an immersive layout that reflects their interpretation of ‘radical cuteness’.
From kawaii culture to artistic expression
CUTE also examines the cultural roots of the aesthetic, tracing its rise from early 20th-century Japanese illustrations by Yumeji Takehisa to the global phenomenon of Hello Kitty, manga, and anime. The spread of this aesthetic in the 1990s, sometimes called “pink globalisation,” led to the adoption of kawaii elements in Western pop culture and the development of ‘cutism’—an artistic movement that uses cuteness to address serious themes.
In the digital era, younger creators—shaped by social media, video games, and avatars—have continued to redefine the style. Their works suggest that cuteness can also be subversive, complex, and socially relevant.
Special features and preview
Highlights of the exhibition include the Hello Kitty disco, the interactive Glimmer installation where visitors can become anime characters, and a gaming area with customisable digital monsters. Dutch fashion designer JimmyPaul has created a one-off dress to mark the seventieth anniversary of Miffy (Nijntje).
Visiting Kunsthal Rotterdam
The Cute exhibition will be held in Hall 1 of Kunsthal Rotterdam, located in the Museumpark. The venue is easily accessible by public transport, with Eendrachtsplein metro station just a short walk away. For those travelling by car, parking is available at Museumpark Garage.
The Museumpark is a vibrant cultural area in Rotterdam, home to several museums and attractions, making it an ideal destination for a day of exploration.
