A Record Number
From fashionistas to surfers and from design freaks to lovers of literature – it seemed as if everyone came to the Kunsthal in 2018. In doing so, the public gave the Kunsthal the greatest 25th anniversary gift it could ever have hoped for: a new record. Twenty years ago, in 1998, the Kunsthal attracted 334,000 visitors and for a long time that would remain its busiest year. But this year, we attracted many more visitors. With 420,000 visitor this meant an average of around 1,200 visitors a day – or over 170 per hour if you do some further calculations. Incredible!
This many people not only meant a record for 2018, but also felt like one big party. A party that we celebrated with each other; during exhibitions such as Hyperrealism Sculpture, Viktor&Rolf and Action <-> Reaction, while dancing during Kunsthal LIVE, being amazed about the optical illusions during Kunsthallucinations, or breathlessly looking at Daan Roosegaarde’s WATERLICHT in the Museumpark. In December, an exhibition entitled “Thank You, Dear Visitors’ listed the past year’s highlights of the Kunsthal in HALL 4. We hope your memories of 2018 are as amazing as ours.
Kunsthal Audience
In 2018 the Kunsthal welcomed 420,000 visitors, 30% of whom had never visited the Kunsthal before. WATERLICHT and other outdoor activities, such as Kunsthal LIVE ON SUNDAY, attracted about 30,000 additional visitors. On average 63% of our visitors are women and 37% are men. Around 15% of our visitors come from abroad, 17% from Rotterdam, 10% from the region and 58% from elsewhere in the Netherlands. The educational level of our visitors is high for 64%, intermediate for 31% and at a vocational level for 5%. The visitor characteristics vary with the programme and time of year. Many visitors indicate that they have specifically come to see the main exhibitions: Hyperrealism Sculpture (82%), Viktor&Rolf (67%), Action<>Reaction (72%), and Surf Tribe (57%). Around 40% also visit the café and the Kunsthal Store.
The Kunsthal devotes a lot of attention to attracting new audiences and keeping our regular visitors engaged. To this end, the Kunsthal is undertaking various actions, such as listening to its visitors and investing in the physical and online customer journey. More information on this subject can be found under Building