About the social impact of poetry in the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam

Poetry has great social influence within the societies of West Asia and North Africa. Across social classes, national borders and language boundaries, poems are known and recited by heart by millions of people. They are a form of individual and collective expression, they have great connecting power and social influence. And while one is an expression of joy or romance, the other is the driving force behind a mass protest or argument for freedom.

The exhibition Poetry of the People makes the connecting power of poetry and its meaning palpable. Thirty impactful poems in a mix of text, lecture, video and art installations show how important the role of poetry can be in people’s lives. The exhibition moves from the intimacy of individually read poetry to the intensity of a collectively chanted poem. The verses contain the voices of change makers, freedom fighters, connectors and of comfort, resilience, love.

Poetry of the People can be visited and, above all, experienced in Wereldmuseum Amsterdam from February 14 to August 24, 2025, Linnaeusstraat 2.