West Den Haag > projects > Open Paviljoen

Pavilion in the middle of Lange Voorhout, The Hague

‘When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise’, wrote Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The city of The Hague is not a uniform place. With more than half of its residents of non-Dutch origin, it forms a vibrant, multilingual community rich in stories. To celebrate this diversity, West is launching the Open Paviljoen this summer: a new meeting place for the many voices of The Hague.

Located on the stately Lange Voorhout, the Open Paviljoen invites visitors to connect, exchange ideas, and imagine together. Its focus is not on the past, but on shaping a shared future. The spatial installation, consisting of a platform and a compact project space, has been developed in collaboration with renowned Surinamese artist Marcel Pinas. Over the course of three months, it will become a place for art, reflection, hospitality, and dialogue. Click here for the program.

With good coffee, sandwiches and pastries by Bro, the pavilion becomes a warm and welcoming space for a broad audience. Together with a range of organisations from both within the city and beyond, West is presenting a continuous program of talks, performances, sports and games, by and for the people of The Hague and far beyond.

This year’s focus is on Suriname: a country deeply connected to both the past and present of the Netherlands. The Open Paviljoen offers space for cultural exchange, critical reflection, and artistic expression.

What makes the Open Paviljoen special is that it is more than a stage: it is a thinking space in the heart of the city. It is rooted in the philosophy of West and the new program Worlding Art, which explores how art can contribute to an inclusive, just, and liveable world. Inspired by thinkers such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Édouard Glissant (whose work is simultaneously on view in an exhibition in the former American embassy), the program has been developed in collaboration with a diverse network of artists, thinkers, and residents. It includes both professional and amateur art, philosophical reflection and personal stories.

Through its ongoing programming in the former embassy and at the Open Paviljoen, West not only brings contemporary art to the heart of The Hague, but also creates space for hospitality, dialogue, and the shared imagination of another world.

This year, West collaborates with the artists’ association Pulchri Studio, which is organising the exhibition Voorhout Monumentaal next to the pavilion. At the same time, we will serve as an information point where visitors to the Museumkwartier can find background information.

West Den Haag wants to warmly thank everyone who has been involved in the realization of the Open Pavilion and its program for their inspiring ideas, endless enthusiasm and limitless efforts: Marlies Adriaanse, Amit Akbar, Zehra Al-Khalfawy, James Alexandropoulos- McEwan, Karin Amatmoekrim, Muriël Asandikomo-Sajoe, Tessa Bekker, Lisette van den Berg, Bas Bergamin, Céleste van Berkum, Jane Biekman, Joan Biekman, Anthony Blokdijk, Frank van den Boom, Betty Bouwer, Margherita Brillada, Coos de Bruijn, Louis de Buck, Gözde Celik, Christopher Clarkson, Valérie Dannmeyer, Pim Deul, Chloë van Diepen, Praktijkschool De Einder, Rienke Enghardt, Kathleen Ferrier, Sabine Haksteen, Hermine Haman, Akiem Helmling, Mary Hessing, Frans van Hoek, Thijs Jaeger, María Ángel Justicia, Miguel Ángel Justicia, Liana Kachakhmadze, Hester Keijser, Alexander van den Kleyenberg, Kayle van ‘t Klooster, Ed van der Kooy, Demi van Kuijk, Lotte Linthorst, Annelies Meijers, Lo Yuen Ming, André Mosis, Rashid Novaire, Lucía Pellitero, Kristina Petković, Marcel Pinas, Pauline van der Plas, Sunil Puljhun, Annemarie Quispel, Jessy Rahman, Berta Brunet Ramió, Omer Ratzabi, Rita Rehorst, Leonie Roessler, Lotus Rooijakkers, Yo-E Ryou, Anelicia Sadiroon, Fresco Sam-Sin, Sophie Soeterbroek, Marie-José Sondeijker, Natalia Sorzano, Shirley van der Steen, Pink Steenvoorden, Catherine Taft, Carry van Teijlingen, Mike Thompson, Vanja Treffers, José Tojo, Sophie Verbeek, Jeffrey Vermaat, Joost Vermeer, Carla Verpoort, Malcolm Baraka Wamunza, Kacper Werkowicz, Birgit Westgeest, Emma Wiersma, Anne Willemsen, Rosa Zangenberg.