Kunstavond 5 December: Poetic Making in the Education & Participation Space and CLiP #7
6–9 pm
This Kunstavond (5 December 2025), Kunstinstituut Melly opens both the Education & Participation Space and the CLiP workspace for an evening of creativity, experimentation, and collective exploration. Visitors can participate in hands-on activities inspired by our current exhibitions and ongoing educational programs.
Kunstavond in Rotterdam
Every first Friday of the month, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, V2_, WORM, MaMA, and Kunstinstituut Melly open their doors for free during the vibrant Kunstavond. The Witte de With Quarter transforms into the epicenter of cutting-edge art in Rotterdam, featuring exhibitions, installations, performances, talks, music, and more. Four institutions within one block showcase where experimentation and innovation in art come to life. Four institutions, one block, infinite discoveries. Kunstavond is organized by Kunstblock, a collaborative network of institutions along Witte de Withstraat.
For this edition this is what you can experience at Melly:
Poetic Making in the Education & Participation Space
In the Education & Participation Space, visitors are invited to a poetic making activity inspired by donna Kukama: I Breathe, You Breathe, currently on view at Kunstinstituut Melly.
Participants can:
- Write a short text or poem about something that “breathes” within them.
- Transform their text into an artwork in which the words are no longer readable but still present and felt.
- Experiment freely with paper, pencils, markers, ink, tape, scissors, and other materials.
The activity reflects Kukama’s interdisciplinary practice, where breath, memory, and layered storytelling are central. Visitors receive a leporello with prompts and exercises to explore fragments, repetition, and invisible traces.
This activity is accessible for everyone, no prior experience required. Visitors can work for ten minutes or two hours, leaving their creation in the space or taking it home.
Discover CLiP #7: The Garage School of Prepping Otherwise
The CLiP workspace is also open during Kunstavond. CLiP (Collective Learning in Practice) supports Rotterdam-based participants (ages 17–24) to explore collective survival, care, and creative strategies in times of crisis, militarisation, and social inequality.
Curated by The Garage School (Santiago Pinyol & Kari Robertson), CLiP #7 reimagines “prepping” as a collective, creative, and hopeful practice. Participants experiment with: Food preservation, foraging, and first aid, Speculative writing, performance, and improvisation, Live Action Role Play (LARP) as an artistic and educational method.
During Kunstavond, visitors can:
- Respond to the Question Wall, reflecting on collective survival and care.
- Watch a recap video highlighting workshops and activities so far.
- Explore zines and texts used and created during the sessions.
CLiP #7 fosters experimentation, co-creation, and collective reflection, providing insight into how young people imagine resilient futures together.
Experience Art and Collective Imagination
This Kunstavond at Kunstinstituut Melly offers a unique opportunity to engage with contemporary art, experimentation, and collective creativity. Visitors can write, create, reflect, and explore both the poetic and practical dimensions of survival, care, and imagination.
Practical Information
Date & Time: Friday, 5 December 2025, 6 till 9 PM
Location: Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam
Admission: Free
Exhibition: donna Kukama: I Breathe, You Breathe, open until 29 March 2026