Nederland Niet Nederland

At first these were held in a museum space specially reserved for the purpose, but later the most appropriate space was found, depending on the nature of the project. Works were purchased for the collection from these projects and exhibitions and shown both in a national and international context.

What kind of Dutch art has the museum collected over the past 25 years? What works wound up in the museum’s collection? What choices were made? Is there a part of the collection that has more in common than simply a geographical spot? The exhibition ‘NEDERLAND NIET NEDERLAND’ (Netherlands Not Netherlands) lifts the veil on this aspect by showing a broad selection of works from this part of the collection in seven of the museum’s spaces. The approaches of the artists represented are broad and diverse, both in terms of choice of material as well as content. Along with paintings and drawings, the assemblage comprises photographs, sculptures, installations and videoworks. For some time now there has no longer been any sign of one clear-cut movement. Standpoints adopted are individual and diverse. Artists travel all over the world, live and work for varying amounts of time abroad, have exhibitions there and realise projects. Thus influences and personal engagement vary enormously.

Several common threads run through the exhibition, however. On the one hand it gives an overview of the museum’s buying policy from 1980-2004, while providing a subjective outline of art from 1980 to the present. As well as Henk Visch, René Daniëls and Marlene Dumas, artists like Job Koelewijn, Komen & Murphy, Michael Raedecker, Henri Jacobs, Mark Manders and Marijke van Warmerdam are represented. The exhibition’s title is a play on the words ‘Eindhoven niet Eindhoven’ which appears in the 1987 painting Zig-Zag Zigzag by René Daniëls.

During the exhibition period the Van Abbemuseum is organising a syposium on the collection policies of Dutch museums with regard to Dutch art.

The exhibition and associated events are partly made possible with the support of Provincie Noord-Brabant, 's-Hertogenbosch.