Spica Maashaven

    A historical exhibition about the grain storage and shipment in the Rotterdam harbour designed by Vitibuck and Gert Jacob de Graaf. During the renovation one of the grain elevators has been transformed into an exhibition space where visitors see and experience how the harbour has grown with grain trans shipment as a cornerstone.

    Spica Maashaven

    The grain elevators of Rotterdam

    During the opening of the exhibition the elderly man Struijvenberg sung together with the guest’s elevator song ELEVATORLIED of Koos Speenhoff –an ode to the importance of the grain trans-shipment.

    The exhibition Spica Maashaven tells the background story of the grain elevators of Rotterdam. The engineering behind this firm objects, the stories of former workers and the influence of the powerful Graan Elevatoren Maatschappij are told in historical documents and interactive installations. The exhibition also gives a glimpse of the future of these historical reminders along the Maashaven.

    Background

    Today’s Rotterdam is among others built upon the grain tarns-shipment. Along the Maashaven, the grain harbour of Rotterdam, the exhibition Spica Maashaven attention is payed to this rich history. The name of the exhibition is originating from the word “spieker”, which is one of the oldest building typologies to store grain. For the exhibition a spieker was built and placed temporarily along the Maashaven Oostzijde.

    These unused grain towers of the Maassilo are restored by local entrepreneurs ( Stichting Renovatie Elevatoren Maashaven) together with unemployed young people from the neighbourhood.

    With special thanks:

    Gebiedscommissie Charlois, Gemeente Rotterdam, Woonstad, Platform 31, Stichting Renovatie Elevatoren Maashaven,  Peter Gardien, Henk Salters, Louis Rutjes, Robert Tau, Irene Verheij, Cor Oosthoek (Historisch Collectief Charlois), Kees Deenik, Irina Thio, Jennifer Ravestein, Mitchell Daamen (De Rotterdammert), Meneba, Demir Halk Bank.