Home in Transit: Finding Belonging Through Art in Rotterdam

Finding Home While in Motion

Since October 2024, the FRENS Table in Rotterdam has been a weekly creative space where people from all walks of life gather to draw, write, reflect, and connect.

Our members brought diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, but shared a common thread: transition. Whether navigating life as a refugee, moving between communities, discovering art for the first time, or adjusting to new circumstances, participants found a sense of belonging and community around the FRENS Table.

From these shared experiences, Home in Transit was born, a participatory art project exploring what it means to find “home” while life is in motion.

Experiencing the Home in Transit Exhibition

Hosted at the Huidenclub in Rotterdam, Home in Transit was a multi-sensory art exhibition that celebrated personal stories of movement, resilience, and connection. Visitors were invited to explore the space as if traveling themselves:

• Touch artefacts of movement and personal objects.
• Listen to an audio guide featuring members of the FRENS! community sharing their perspectives on “coming home.”
• Discover moments of warmth, uncertainty, and memory in unexpected details, a shared pencil, a stitched page, or a silent auction bid.

Highlights of Home in Transit

• Silent Auction: Original artworks from the FRENS Table members were auctioned with proceeds supporting both the artists and future community projects.
• The Home in Transit Sketchbook: A collaborative, evolving artwork where visitors added reflections on home-making and change.
• Audio Guide: Personal interpretations of “coming home,” recorded by FRENS community members.

“The exhibition helped me feel connected to others who are navigating life in transition,” -participating artist.

Supporting Creativity and Community

Home in Transit was proudly funded by Huidenclub, Cultuur Concreet, and the Elise Mathildefonds, who, like Art is Home, believe in making creativity accessible to everyone.

Through this project, we demonstrated that art can be both a personal outlet and a shared space for connection, where belonging is crafted collectively, one sketch, story, or stitch at a time.

Join Our Creative Community

Whether you’re interested in the FRENS Community Rotterdam, participatory art projects, or multi-sensory exhibitions that explore belonging and identity, Art is Home welcomes you.