Getting off an elevator you could be greeted by a sculpture of an otter wearing a day-glo coat. Classic old-school vinyl platters or cassette tapes are transformed into musical tributes to David Bowie and Tina Turner in hallways.
It’s all part of the art show going on all over on Holland America Line’s new flagship Rotterdam. No longer are cruise ships about seascapes and ship models, this one boasts a $4-million art collection in addition to unique memorabilia from past ships.
The multi-media collection was curated by Oslo-based YSA Design and London-based Art Link, which collaborated with Tihany Design, which created the ship interiors. The museum at sea features more than 2,600 works in public areas, decks and staterooms by artists from around the world.
The largest and most expensive piece is Harps, an eye-catching 7.5-ton stainless steel sculpture in the atrium that spans three decks. that features dynamic color-changing spot lighting and a mirrored ceiling. It was produced and designed by ArtLink, based on a concept by Tihany Design, and is valued at $620,000.
The smallest works are by Betty Pepper, who uses reworked books and adds intricate details and scenes made from old maps. They can be seen in the forward stairwell between decks 7 and 8.
As with Rudi’s Sel de Mer on Nieuw Statendam, master chef Rudi Sodamin’s son and emerging artist Magnus Sodamin created a mural that adorns the wall in his father’s namesake specialty restaurant on Rotterdam. Oceans Feast measures 23 feet long and 3.6 feet tall.
Music is a recurring theme through hallways and one of the more intriguing variations are works by Italian artist Federico Picci imagining how music would look if it could be seen. In one image, balloons float out of a piano.
One of the most striking and expensive pieces is a dazzling, illuminated crystal treble clef by Dutch artist Hans van Bentem for Deck 3, midship, valued at $27,000.
In the embarkation area is Billie Holiday by Ani Abakumova, made of three miles of threads, 8,000 threads in total and created using an algorithm. One of the most valuable works is a mixed media on canvas piece in the forward stairwell lobby on Deck 8 by Mehdi Ghadyanloo, an Iranian artist known for his gigantic trompe l’oeil-style murals.
Cello and pan flute sculptures for the BB King’s Blues Club/Lincoln Center Stage space were created by Korean artist Yongsun Jang.
A spectacular piece that you may only see if you dine in the tucked away Tamarind Asian restaurant is an intensely colorful kimono woven of hundreds of ribbons.
This is the seventh ship to bear the name Rotterdam in Holland America’s history. Some artworks from Rotterdam VI, which left the company in 2020 have a new home on this latest ship. Eight historical paintings of former Rotterdam generations as well as three ship models and a bell from Rotterdam VI feature in the exhibit.
