Santa Cruise

In Santa Cruise, artist Emma van Beek takes you on a unique walking tour through Rotterdam. The route follows the imaginary footsteps of the iconic Buttplug Gnome — the sculpture by artist Paul McCarthy — leading toward the Shoes exhibition at the Kunsthal. With a generous wink and a poetic touch, Emma transformed the city into her canvas.

The two-kilometer route consisted of around 600 footprints, created using the reverse graffiti technique — cleaning as an art form. The prints emerged from the city’s dirt, subtly guiding visitors from Witte de Withstraat to Museumpark. In this playful way, public space was transformed into an inviting walking route filled with curiosity and wonder.

Santa Cruise was commissioned by the Nieuwe Binnenweg Entrepreneurs Association, with Mothership acting as producer.