In October 2020, the Groninger Museum will be the first museum in continental Europe to host “Exhibitionism”, an international touring museum exhibit on the long and storied career of The Rolling Stones.
Translation by Hans de Preter
The exhibit, which focuses on five decades of one of the world’s biggest rock bands, has previously appeared in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo, but the stint at the Groninger Museum will be the European premier outside of the United Kingdom.
The Groninger Internet Courant reports that in October 2020, 400 original items from the collection of the Stones will go on display, from instruments and stage designs to rare audio and video clips, personal diaries, iconic outfits, poster material, album covers and even a recreation of their humble beginnings studio at Edith Grove in London.
Complemented by unique film material and interactive technology, the exhibition provides an exceptionally comprehensive insight into 50 years of history of the band and the careers of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood. Visitors can get up close and personal with the musical story of the Stones and the evolution of the London blues band from their origins in the early ‘60s to the international cultural icons of today.
Cultural context
The personal archive of the band in the exhibition gives an impressive look behind the scenes and puts their rise into the broader context of decades of cultural history, featuring items from artists, designers, artists and writers like Andy Warhol, Shepard Fairey, Alexander McQueen, Ossie Clark, Jeff Koons and Martin Scorsese.
Andreas Blühm, director of the Groninger Museum says that the cultural institution is proud that the Stones are returning to Groningen in a way: back in 1999, The Rolling Stones performed at the Drafbaan, the horse racing track inside the Stadspark.
“We are incredibly happy that we can bring the Rolling Stones back to Groningen after their legendary concert in 1999″, Blühm says. “The exhibition brings back good memories and gives extensive insight into this four-piece cultural phenomenon that has had a major influence on the twentieth century, and still does.”
With “Exhbitionism”, the Groninger Museum is developing a name for itself as a space for rock music history: in 2015, the museum hosted the extremely popular “David Bowie Is” exhibit, which drew in more than 200,000 visitors.
The Rolling Stones can be seen from October 2020 to January 2021. Presale tickets will be available starting in May 2020.
