Exhibition Abstract + Beeld

Museum Beelden aan Zee, the Hague. April – June 2022

Cross-departmental Collaboration

While curating the exhibition Abstract + Beeld in collaboration with the senior curator of international sculpture and the artistic director, I also worked closely with the marketing department to lead an innovative photographic campaign for museum-week. Portraits of sculptures were taken in the museum’s exterior surroundings. By making analogies to the sights, textures and elements of the natural world, abstract forms were contextualized with simple but poetic visual descriptions. I scripted an interactive social media engagement strategy based on art historical research.

Photos by Gerrit Schreurs Fotografie

Overview

This exhibition revealed to its own staff members as well as to members of the public familiar with Beelden aan Zee’s permanent collection that its holdings house a number of abstract pieces worthy of display. The team worked with guest architect Trude Hooykaas to realize a simple but effective exhibition design. I was involved with all aspects of the exhibition development process, including procuring new acquisitions and loans.

“Since 1994, Museum Beelden aan Zee has focused on acquiring and displaying figurative sculpture. Specifically, the representation of the human figure was central to the collector couple Scholten. Yet gradually, through targeted purchases, careful attention was also paid to abstract, or rather, non-figurative sculpture. For example, work by Anthony Caro, Shinkichi Tajiri and Berend Bodenkamp was purchased. Particularly through donations from private individuals, the collection has been rapidly enriched in this area in recent years with a large number of fine examples. Sculptures by various artists such as Cornelius Rogge, David Vandekop, André Volten, Nabuqi, Erik van Spronsen, Piet Killaars and Lon Pennock were accepted. This makes the museum even better able to provide an overview of (Dutch) sculpture. It is high time to share this important development in the collection policy with the public.” – Museum Beelden aan Zee

Photo by Gerrit Schreurs Fotografie

Photo by Gerrit Schreurs Fotografie

Education Guide
Abstract + Beeld: Goed Gezien

Museum Beelden aan Zee, the Hague. April – June 2022

This interpretive guide utilized alternative methods to engage visitors with often difficult to grasp, abstract art. A series of open-ended and closed-ended questions were used to encourage visitors to make a connection between their life outside the museum and the interior world of objects on display. By referencing concepts from lived personal and social experiences, a scaffold was established from which visitors could approach understanding of the art historical narrative and identity of object. Texts were scripted to appeal to audiences from a variety of demographic backgrounds with a diverse set of visitor-motivations.