Commissioned by Danshuis Rotterdam, Dutch photographer and artist Paul Kooiker is creating his Wall of Dance on the longest photo wall in the Netherlands. Wall of Dance consists of 64 new photographs of Dutch dancers of all ages, styles, and levels. Wall of Dance is the first artwork commissioned for Danshuis Rotterdam. The life-size photographs will be on display for five years, starting February 4th, 2026, as a 160-meter-long installation around the Danshuis construction site.

Paul Kooiker
Paul Kooiker (Rotterdam, 1964) studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. His work is exhibited internationally and is included in several museum collections, including Boijmans Van Beuningen, Museum Voorlinden, and Museum Folkwang in Essen. He is also a sought-after photographer for leading media outlets such as Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue Italia, Suddeutsche Zeitung, and La Repubblica, and has created campaigns for renowned fashion houses like Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Acne Studios. For the past five years, Kooiker has navigated between commercial commissions and autonomous art, making the distinction between the two virtually indistinguishable. Kooiker has been awarded the Prix de Rome Photography and the A. Roland Holst Award for his oeuvre. For the Danshuis, he created the Wall of Dance: 64 photographs of dancers of all ages, styles, and levels.

First artwork in Danshuis collection
The Danshuis in Rotterdam will be the largest dance house in the Netherlands. In addition to dance facilities, the Danshuis also offers space for dance in a variety of artistic disciplines, including fashion, film, and photography. Wall of Dance is the first artwork in the Danshuis collection. "Paul Kooiker's work embodies exactly what dance is: a free form of expression that is timeless and personal, and above all, enjoyable. Everyone will soon be welcome at the Danshuis; whether you're a professional dancer or just starting out, dancing is for everyone." - Laura Dufour, Project Director Danshuis.

Danshuis Rotterdam
The former Provimi warehouse next to Fenix, the art museum about migration that opened in Rotterdam in 2025, will be transformed in the coming years into the largest dance venue in the Netherlands. Four floors totaling 8,000m² will be dedicated to all forms of dance, for all ages and levels, from classical to salsa, from tango to urban. Rotterdam based dance companies and individual users, dancers and visitors, will soon find their home here. In addition to a dozen large and small dance studios, the Danshuis will also feature a costume workshop, a gym, multiple stages, exhibition space, and a festive dance hall with views of the city and the river. The Danshuis will open its doors in 2030. The Danshuis Rotterdam is an initiative of the Droom en Daad Foundation.