Art Institute Melly can be found in one of the most vibrant streets of Rotterdam, namely the Witte de Withstraat. Melly’s mission is to present and discuss the ideas and work of contemporary visual artists and culture makers. That is why they organize exhibitions, commission art and publish and develop educational and collaborative projects.
Art Institute Melly used to be called ‘Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art’. In 2021 the name was officially changed to Kunstinstituut Melly.
The old name is the same as the street of the institute, namely the well-known cultural Witte de Withstraat. The namesake of the street is Witte Corneliszoon de With, a naval officer from the 17th century who served in the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company. These two companies were of great importance to the colonial expansion of the Netherlands. With the name change, Art Institute Melly shows that it is important to raise larger conversations about decolonization, representation and dissonant heritage in the Netherlands.
