From February 25 to March 30, 2025, the Museum Café of Museum Het Schip will host the exhibition 'Curating Atmosphere' by Rosanne Speet.
Rosanne Speet (1992) is a multidisciplinary artist inspired by her surroundings. She works with various materials and traditional techniques, adapting her designs to the possibilities and limitations of the material. For Museum Het Schip, she has selected a number of previous tufted carpets and created a series of new works.
In her selection of earlier works, Speet draws inspiration from planted flower beds along pedestrian and bicycle paths and roads. These small patches of nature are designed to contrast sharply with the asphalted and built-up public space, ensuring that the urban environment remains pleasant to navigate. This idea has its roots in the rise of the garden city movement. In her carpets, the plants and flowers are combined into a paradisiacal image where the essence of the flower beds remains, but the urban surroundings are left out.
For Museum Het Schip, Speet has also created a series of houseplants. In the late nineteenth century, the bourgeoisie developed the idea that the working classes would benefit from a civilizing mission. This was implemented in many ways throughout society, one of which was the establishment of floralia societies. Members sought to inform and inspire the working class about maintaining houseplants. With the opening of the flower auction in Aalsmeer in 1920, keeping houseplants became increasingly accessible and affordable. A selection of houseplants from various books published between 1920 and 1935 has been chosen to illustrate the types of plants that might have been found in workers' homes. How does the contemporary use of houseplants compare to that of the past?
For more of her work and insights into her process, visit Instagram: @rosannespeet
For inquiries about purchasing a piece, email
