31 OCT — LATE NOV 2025 | A year after receiving the keys to an empty retail unit in the heart of Rotterdam, artist and curator Monsigneur L’Afrique (the pseudonym of Sigmar Vriesde) celebrates the transformation of that space into a vibrant new art platform. His debut solo exhibition, La Vie En Rose, opens on 31 October 2025 at Galerie NOIR NOIR, marking both the gallery’s first anniversary and its official public debut.
From vacant storefront to creative hub
In collaboration with the Dutch Railways (NS) and a network of local partners, the artist has turned a once-empty unit into a home for African and Afro-Caribbean art, culture and identity. “NOIR NOIR is still evolving,” Vriesde says. “But this moment – exactly a year later – feels like a milestone. With La Vie En Rose, I’m turning the gaze inward for a moment.”
The exhibition is described as “an ode to the ability to find beauty in places where you wouldn’t normally expect it.”
Art, hope and reinvention
Guided by an Afrofuturist vision, Monsigneur L’Afrique explores imagination as a tool for transformation. His work aligns with the visionary traditions of Sun Ra and Ekow Nimako, extending their legacy into a personal manifesto of hope, justice and renewal.
La Vie En Rose is a multimedia experience that blends painting, sound and installation, inviting visitors to consider how creative resilience can reshape the urban landscape.
NOCTURNAL AFFAIR: an opening night event
The exhibition opening coincides with NOCTURNAL AFFAIR, a Halloween-inspired evening of live music, performance and community celebration. Musician Bruno Ferro Xavier da Silva will perform live, joined by guest artist Rydia Kim, before the night concludes with an open jam session.
Opening: 31 October 2025, 18:00–19:00
Location: Galerie NOIR NOIR, Rotterdam
Exhibition runs: 31 October – late November 2025
About Galerie NOIR NOIR
Galerie NOIR NOIR serves as a creative incubator for artists, thinkers and performers with roots in Africa and the Caribbean. It aims to connect art, activism and imagination, positioning Rotterdam as a hub for cross-cultural artistic dialogue.
More info: noirnoir.nl
.jpg)
.jpg "Popronde Rotterdam - date, locations, artists, info")
