The first edition of Wild Summer of Art will take place from 1 July to 4 September 2022. An exhibition with selected young talent and established names with new work by a total of 180 artists. Wild Summer of Art offers an overview of the current state of affairs. Visitors can purchase the exhibited works directly from the artist. Depending on the results, Wild Summer of Art will become a recurring annual event similar to the Summer Exhibition at London's Royal Academy. The exhibition is free to visit from Thursday to Sunday.

Wild Summer of Art takes place in BRUTUS; the complex with various work and exhibition spaces in the Rotterdam Merwevierhaven area. The works are displayed in all areas: from the corridor system in the Ruin to the 12-meter-high Cathedral Hall. For this retrospective exhibition, the 180 artists in total show an enormous diversity of disciplines and materials. Wild Summer of Art shows a carefully curated cross-section of the diversity in the Rotterdam art scene. Part I of Wild Summer of Art can be visited from July 1 to July 31. Part II is from August 6 to September 4. Both are free to enter.

Sanne ten Brink (director BRUTUS) about Wild Summer of Art: “BRUTUS is putting Rotterdam artists in the spotlight this summer. It's going to be big!”

Wim Pijbes: “Wild Summer of Art will be a summery voyage of discovery through ripe and greenery, past artists of today.”

BRUTUS, the location of Wild Summer of Art is unique in its raw appearance. In this Artist Driven Playground, participants can go as big as they want. The composition of Wild Summer of Art is in the hands of a curatorial team consisting of Piet de Jonge (former curator of the Van Abbemuseum, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and Museum Kröller-Müller), Jessy Koeiman (curator Collective Learning, Art Institute Melly) and Liesbeth Bik (visual artist and curator). The curators were advised by twelve professional scouts, who suggested artists, which resulted in a broadly composed whole.

Curators team on the exhibition: “It is not often that the energy, work, and artistic intelligence of so many can be seen together in one location. The ecosystem of the city is reflected and tangible in this exhibition. And: perhaps even more importantly, artists also see each other.”

Part I — July 1 to July 31 | open Thursday to Sunday between 11 am and 6 pm

Opening Part II — Saturday, August 6 from 19:30
Part II — Aug 6 to Sep 4 | open Thursday to Sunday between 11 am and 6 pm
Finissage - Sunday 4 September from 19:30

The exhibition is made possible by: Municipality of Rotterdam, Droom en Daad and art institute Melly.