‘Plastic Sea, Perfect Storm’ by The Europeans in Kunsthal Rotterdam

In the vicinity of the southern Spanish tourist resorts along the Almería coastline, around 3.5 billion kilos of vegetables and fruit are grown each year. What does the world behind this largest greenhouse complex in Europe look like? This autumn at Kunsthal Rotterdam, the photographer Rob Hornstra and the author Arnold van Bruggen will show how countless migrants who have no legal residency status have to work under abominable circumstances to produce food for European markets. Their photographs and stories are part of the large-scale project The Europeans, in which Hornstra and Van Bruggen set out to capture contemporary Europe.

The European Cultural Foundation has been a supporter of The Europeans from their start. Some works included in this exhibition have been on show in the event-space of Domo. Home for International Cultural Collaboration in which we are housed. Rob Hornstra and Arnold van Bruggen are regular contributors to our annual magazine, Common Ground.

Image: Rob Hornstra, San Isidro de Níjar, 2025, © Rob Hornstra / The Europeans