Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Time: 16.00 hours
Location: Coolsingel near number 123
The artwork A Minute of Shelter The sculpture by Narges Mohammadi will be unveiled on Coolsingel on Tuesday, November 25th, Orange the World Day. The sculpture draws attention to all women and girls who have experienced violence. Intimate partner violence and domestic violence are major problems in the Netherlands; Rotterdam leads the way in the number of reports.
The artwork consists of a brick wall that represents what many consider the only safe place in the home: the bathroom, with a lockable door. The work has two sides, with a toilet and sink receding on one side and protruding on the other. On the floor is a bag, a symbol of safety and escape. "Your entire life, everything important to you, has to fit in that bag, so you can escape at any moment," Mohammadi explains. With the everyday nature of the objects and materials, Mohammadi alludes to the everyday nature of violence against women and girls.
Programme
The unveiling of A Minute of Shelter The unveiling ceremony will take place on Tuesday afternoon, November 25th, at Coolsingel, near number 123. The program begins at 4:00 PM with speeches by Alderman Ronald Buijt (Health) and Narges Mohammadi, among others. This will be followed by a reading by Poet of the Netherlands Babs Gons. She wrote this poem for the unveiling. Everyone is cordially invited to attend the unveiling of this important work of art.
Location
The sculpture will be installed on the Coolsingel, right in the heart of Rotterdam. Such a prominent location was chosen for a reason: there's virtually no other permanent memorial to violence against women anywhere in the world. The work contributes to making a major social problem—the police receive a report of domestic violence every eight minutes—visible in public spaces. "I hope the artwork will be a conversation starter," says Mohammadi. "So that warning signs are recognized sooner and women who experience violence can talk about it sooner."
Motion
The artwork was created after the Rotterdam City Council passed a motion in 2019 to create a memorial for sixteen-year-old Hümeyra. She was shot dead by her ex-boyfriend after he stalked her for a period. Together with Hümeyra's family, they decided to erect a memorial in the city for all women who have experienced violence or femicide.
About the artist
Narges Mohammadi's (born 1993, somewhere between Kabul and Tehran) career gained momentum in 2020 when her graduation project at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague made a big impression. Her installations and sculptures are rooted in her personal history, characterized by experiences from two very different cultures. She draws from the endlessly rich interstitial space in which she finds herself. Her sculptures consist of unexpected yet recognizable materials: halva, concrete, gum, clay, and soap. Her work is regularly exhibited at home and abroad.
A Minute of Shelter Narges Mohammadi will become part of the Sculpture International Rotterdam (SIR) collection, a collection of sculptures by (inter)nationally renowned artists. See the website for an overview of the international sculpture collection.
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