organisations
Utrecht’s Centraal Museum was founded in 1838, which makes it the oldest municipal museum in the Netherlands. The museum has a large and varied collection of art divided into five departments: old masters, modern art, design, fashion and local history. Among the highlights of the old masters are works by Saenredam, Van Scorel and the Utrecht Caravaggists, including Ter Brugghen and Van Honthorst. The modern art collection provides a broad survey of Dutch visual art of the twentieth century, featuring work by Van Doesburg, Van der Leck and the Magic Realists Koch, Willink and Moesman. The Centraal Museum possesses the world’s largest collection of Rietveld designs and has a permanent exhibition of work by Dick Bruna.
From Cloister to Museum
The Centraal Museum is housed in a former medieval cloister. But parts of the building have also served as an orphanage, military stable and a psychiatric hospital. In 1999 the museum was renovated by the architects Stéphane Beel, Lieven Achtergael and Peter Versseput. The museum comprises a series of pavilions around a central courtyard. Wandering around the museum it’s soon apparent that this building is a labyrinth!
Beyond the Dutch - Indonesia, the Netherlands, and the visual arts, from 1900 until now. 16 oct 2009 t/m 10 jan 2010
The Dutch colonization of Indonesia has left many traces in the development of both countries. This also applies to the visual arts. Between 16 October 2009 and 10 January 2010, the Centraal Museum presents a major retrospective, which is fully dedicated to the interaction between the Dutch and Indonesian visual arts. ‘Beyond the Dutch. Indonesia, the Netherlands and the visuals arts from 1900 until now’ offers an innovative insight into the influence of Dutch culture on Indonesian visual arts and vice versa. The exhibition analyses the cultural legacy of colonialism and the drastic changes that came forth from the process of decolonization. We also take a look at the present situation: are there still collective influences? ‘Beyond the Dutch’ stimulates the audience to look at the Indonesian visual arts from a different point of view.