Oorsprong van Rotterdam

At the very spot where the dam in the Rotte River was built — the birthplace of Rotterdam — Mothership created an impressive large-scale painting during the city’s Architecture Year. The project took the form of a massive ‘paint by numbers’ artwork of more than 3,500 m², located on the Binnenrotte market square. Designed by artist Luuk Bode, the painting depicted the history of Rotterdam, from its origins some 1,200 years ago to the present day. Shaped like a whirlwind and enhanced with a trompe-l’oeil effect, the design appeared almost three-dimensional when viewed from a 16-meter-high tower.

The artwork illustrated the city’s evolution — its struggle with water, rapid expansion in the late 19th century, the devastation of the 1940 bombing (symbolized by a ring of fire), and its subsequent reconstruction. Residents and passersby were invited to paint sections of the piece themselves, making it a truly collective and deeply Rotterdam creation.

Mothership developed the concept, managed the participatory process, and acted as curator, producer, and coordinator of the artwork.