Lydia Schouten Untitled (2005)

In 2001, CBK Rotterdam commissioned artist Lydia Schouten to create a work for the Keileweg, which was Rotterdam's red-light district at the time. The women working there complained that they found the place unsafe and unpleasant. Schouten subsequently created two works: this painting, a portrait of a strong, sensual woman with bare breasts, and a line of light consisting of erotic swear words. In doing so, she wanted to show that it was not just about earning money there, but also about stimulating the imagination. Schouten hoped that the women working there could see the eroticism in it. The two works were installed in July 2002, but due to the closure of the red-light district, the painting with the portrait was moved to the Cool district in 2005. Since then, it has hung on the side wall of Café de Schouw on Witte de Withstraat.