Speed Skating - A Visual History

About the exhibition

During the Milano Cortina '26 Olympics, the eyes of the skating world are on Rho. For a while, Rho becomes the skating heart of the world.

In the Netherlands, skating is in the DNA, not only because of the Olympic medals, but because the ice once made distances disappear. When the canals and lakes froze, people could travel from town to town. Rich or poor, it didn't matter. Ice was the road. Ice was for everyone.

Skating also carries a story of equality and women's rights. In the 19th century, women's races drew crowds of 10,000. Women claimed their place on the ice, early and boldly.

When the temperature drops, the heart of the nation heats up. Meetings are set aside. Work stops. Factories empty. The ice takes over. A thin layer is enough to transform daily life into something shared. On the ice, everybody is equal. No hierarchy. Just the same cold, the same surface, the same rhythm. And people look after each other, without being asked.

Driven by a hunger for more ice, the move to artificial rinks in the 1960s transformed the sport. This shift accelerated innovations like indoor arenas, skinsuits, and the clap skate. Today, the quest continues with a new generation of sustainable rinks and cutting-edge technology.

Still, when natural ice returns, the fire reignites. Many skaters keep training for the legendary Elfstedentocht in Friesland, a race last skated in 1997, yet still alive in people's hearts.

Ice also brings freedom to move. In a country with a long love-hate relationship with water, the frozen surface turns the barrier into a promise. You hear the crackles beneath your feet, the singing of the ice. You feel speed, lightness, and a connection to nature.

In Rho, past and present meet. As do nature and technology, local culture and the global sports elite. It is a place to discover champions alongside everyday skaters; to explore the roots, the passion, and the innovations of the sport. Feel how ice can transform a country, and connect a world.

Collaboration

This exhibition was created through the collaboration of the Municipality of Rho, the Municipality of Heerenveen, the Province of Fryslân, Thialf ice stadium, Heerenveen Region 'n Gouden Plak, and NOC*NSF. The initiative is promoted by the Embassy and the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Italy, and is officially part of the Cultural Olympiad of Milano Cortina 2026.

The exhibition was curated by Marco Lubbers (Catch Your Moment).