Activating Common Ground Closing Event

With the cultural programme of the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka now officially concluded, this event provides an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the many inspiring activities that took place during the six-month expo, both in Osaka and across Japan.

The evening will feature a performance by the Benjamin Herman Trio, interviews with cultural programme participants about their experiences, and reflections on the numerous collaborations created through the programme, including performances, artworks, and the graphic and spatial design of the Showcases.

The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Activating Common Ground publication, which provides a visual and narrative overview of the cultural programme. It will be officially presented to the cultural programme commissioners: Dewi van de Weerd (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Christianne Mattijssen (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science).

Supported by DutchCulture, this festive gathering forms part of the opening of the MONO JAPAN Fair, a celebration of contemporary Japanese craft, design and culture, which is being held in Rotterdam from 23 to 25 January 2026. You can find more information and RSVP for the opening event of MONO Japan Fair, which takes place directly after the Activating Common Ground Event, on this page.