Museum Route: Past / Future

The Van Gogh Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. But what should the museum look like in 50 years from now? And what lessons can we learn from its past?

In Past / Future a group of Beeldbrekers (‘Reframers’) envision the museum of the future as being socially aware, as a meeting place for celebrating art and creativity. At several spots in the permanent exhibition, they respond to Vincent van Gogh’s art, the building, and to the changes that have taken place over time.

Take a route map, explore their ideas, and share your own thoughts about the future of the museum.

Beeldbrekers Ryo and Kadigia about homeliness in a museum:

“50 years ago, the museum looked open and inviting. A photo from the museum's archive shows visitors chatting on the sofa about art, in a gallery decorated with plants. To the average young person of today, the image of a museum is quite sterile and cold. You are expected to be quiet, and to look at the art with your hands clasped behind your back. If a museum looks more homely, you feel welcome and relaxed, which makes it easier to enjoy the art. Create some comfy seating areas, for instance, that make you want to sit and have conversations with others.”

Beeldbreker Djalma about Van Gogh's inspiration from Japanese printmaking:

“Vincent’s work was greatly influenced by Japanese printmaking. If you look carefully you can see this, but the museum pays little attention to it. In Western art history, non-Western influences are often buried. It’s important that the museum acknowledges these influences, now and in the future. In The Bedroom, for example, Vincent left out all the shadows, making it a ‘flat’ depiction. It makes the painting ‘a typical Van Gogh’, but Vincent borrowed the idea from Japanese printmaking.”