Art of Indigenous Skateboarding rolls into Wereldmuseum Rotterdam

‘Art of Indigenous Skateboarding’ is an exhibition that brings together the creativity, resilience and joy of Indigenous skaters and artists. From 20 November, the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam will be showcasing, as part of the ‘Cookie Monster on a Skateboard Deck’ exhibition, limited-edition trainers from Nike and Vans, skate films and objects from the museum’s collection.

Skateboarding has been growing in popularity for decades and plays a central role in an increasing number of communities worldwide. Local skaters and artists design decks and trainers, drawing on the visual and cultural language of the communities to which they belong. Featuring over twenty works by contemporary artists from Canada, the United States and Mexico, alongside the stories of six skate communities in the United States and Bolivia – told through film, photography and a bespoke deck – the exhibition demonstrates that skateboarding is much more than just a sport full of tricks and stunts.

One piece that really catches the eye is *Cookie Monster with a Hopi Twist* (2020) by Hopi artist Mavasta Honyouti. The skateboard deck, on which Cookie Monster is eating the biscuits of the katsinam (spiritual beings from Hopi tradition), bridges pop culture and Hopi traditions. Also on display is a Hopi basket from Walpi, Arizona (c. 1920), also decorated with a katsina.

Rotterdam

Rotterdam also plays a part. In May 2026, skaters from Bolivia and the United States came to Rotterdam at the invitation of the Wereldmuseum and the Autry Museum of the American West: Kyle Mesteth (Lakota Nation), Jc Larson (Blackfeet Nation), Estefanny Morales and Brenda Mamani (ImillaSkate). During the exchange week, they skated through the city alongside Dutch skaters Wouter Molenaar, Niels van der Zwan, Jaasir Linger, Isabelle Kers, Annette de Vries and Skateland Rotterdam. Their encounters have been captured in the new film *The Language of Skating*, which can be seen in the exhibition.

Fostering creativity

 Wayne Modest, Director of Content at the Wereldmuseum: “The Wereldmuseum believes that the world has no centre, but consists of many worlds that are in constant dialogue with one another. *Art of Indigenous Skateboarding* shows how artists and skaters shape their worlds based on their own histories, communities and relationship with the Land. This story is not confined to the Americas. Here in Rotterdam, too, we see how people use creativity to carve out space for themselves and their communities. That is precisely why this exhibition fits so well in a city with a strong skateboarding culture. The emphasis on ‘art’ in the title is essential here: the exhibition shows how beauty and meaning emerge from everyday actions, how people shape their worlds and make them more beautiful, particularly in times of upheaval. Stories like these are important now, because they help us to see the world not as a single narrative, but as a network of interconnected lives, experiences and possible futures."

Behind the colours and the fun lies a long history and an ongoing struggle. Despite more than five hundred years of colonisation, which, amongst other things, restricted their freedom to travel and live on the Land, Indigenous communities remain steadfast in their connection to the Land. For many Indigenous skaters, the Land is not a possession but a living being and family, as the Andean name Pachamama, Mother Earth, illustrates. Skateboarding – with its falls and fresh starts – offers a way to restore that bond, to heal, and to reclaim space.