Masterpieces of African, Oceanic, and Indonesian Art from the Museum Voor Volkenkunde, Rotterdam

‘Expressions of Belief’ was the first exhibition in the company’s history that was no longer exhibited on the premises of the Art Centre Basel itself. It was, as all subsequent exhibitions, conceived as an international travelling loan exhibition, accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue.

‘Expressions of Belief’ presents more than a hundred objects from one of the most prestigious ethnological museums in Europe, the Museum voor Volkenkunde, Rotterdam (today’s Wereldmuseum, Rotterdam). The institution was founded in 1885 by the leading citizens of Rotterdam for the display of artifacts brought back to Europe by Dutch merchants, missionaries, sea captains, and adventurers from their travels. Among the treasures assembled were masks, sculptures, and ritual objects from Africa, Indonesia, and the far-flung territories of Oceania.