The Rolling Stones – Unzipped was the first ever international exhibition by and about the world-famous rock band. Through 400 original objects from the Stones’ personal archive, it offered visitors an exciting glimpse behind the scenes. Along with instruments and stage designs, the show included rare video footage, personal diaries, iconic costumes and album covers. Highlights included reconstructions of the the band’s studio and modest flat in London’s Edith Grove and a spectacular Dolby surround experience of their 2016 concert in Cuba.
The Rolling Stones: “We are very proud of this exhibition. As well as going back through our history we wanted everyone who comes along to experience and feel exactly what it’s like to be in The Rolling Stones. This is the first time the exhibition is coming to The Netherlands, we hope you all enjoy it.’’
The show boasts more than 400 original objects from the Stones’ own collection. Along with instruments and stage designs, it includes rare audio fragments and video footage, personal diaries, iconic costumes, posters, album covers and even the band’s studio and their modest London flat at Edith Grove.
Supplemented by unique film footage and interactive technology, the exhibition will treat visitors to an extraordinarily comprehensive look at 50 years of the history of the band and the careers of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood. Visitors will witness the Stones’ evolution from early 1960s London blues musicians to internationally revered cultural icons. Fans will be able to journey through the band's unique legacy throughout the exhibition, ending with a special finale experience that brings fans into an iconic stones moment, delivered in multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos Sound and facilitated by PMC (the Professional Monitor Company).
The Rolling Stones have helped to shape popular culture around the world. This exhibition of items loaned by the band provides a compelling behind-the-scenes look at how it all happened. It also considers the wider context of decades of cultural history through the work of artists, designers, performers and writers ranging from Andy Warhol, Shepard Fairey, Alexander McQueen and Ossie Clark to Jeff Koons and Martin Scorsese.
Andreas Blühm, director of the Groninger Museum: “We are extremely happy that we can bring the Rolling Stones back to Groningen after their legendary concert in 1999. The exhibition will trigger happy memories and provide new and deeper insight into a four-headed cultural phenomenon that shaped the 20th century and continues to do so.”
Ileen Gallagher, curator of the exhibition: "The Rolling Stones exhibition is a celebration and thematic exploration of the band who defined rock and roll and the culture surrounding it for more than half of a century. It is an immersive presentation that brings together their music, art, design, fashion, photography and film for museum audiences.”
The Rolling Stones will be on view from November 2020 through February 2021.