With Icons of Desire these worlds return to Amsterdam together once again. The exhibition features artwork by Tom of Finland from the RoB Amsterdam collection alongside works by artists such as Nigel Kent and Bastille, combined with archival material and contemporary works by a new generation of artists.

The exhibition tells not only a story of Queer desire, fetish culture, and sexual freedom, but also one of cultural emancipation. Through the decades-long efforts of Robert Meijer, erotic art became visible within galleries, collections, and the international art world as “fine art”, rather than being confined to the underground or dismissed as forbidden material.

Beyond celebrating Queer history, Icons of Desire also aims to introduce a new generation of visitors to this artistic legacy. Many of the works presented in the exhibition have not been shown in Amsterdam or elsewhere in the Netherlands since the closure of RoB Gallery in the 1990s. The exhibition invites both the fetish community and the broader audience of Pride Amsterdam and WorldPride to engage with the artistic, historical, and social significance of erotic art.

The exhibition is curated by Richard Villani and Izaäk Joziasse (RoB Amsterdam), in collaboration with Galerie de Schans. Works from both the archives of RoB Amsterdam and RoB Gallery are included in the exhibition.