Research

At the Van Abbemuseum, several teams and departments conduct various types of research. We present art in a meaningful way to today's people and to ensure that the art is preserved for future generations.

Research and the museum

Research in the Van Abbemuseum happens both behind the scenes and in the public eye, through interactive or experimental exhibitions, for example, or laboratory-like setups, and public activities and discussions. In short, research is the foundation of and an integral part of our programming.

Constituent research

Multi-sensory experiences and the colonial past are research areas closely connected to our work as a 'constituent museum.' With people and the community, we want to learn about social and cultural issues that go beyond the walls of the museum.

Collaboration and research support

The Van Abbemuseum initiates research projects but also welcomes research proposals and collaborations. We support researchers who want to use our collections, publications, archive and available expertise. We are happy to help: researchers with questions about the possibilities can contact us via info@vanabbemuseum.nl.

Research areas

We conduct different types of research into various areas, mostly in cooperation with both national and international experts and research partners.

Art and cultural history
We study and research the ever-developing fields of art and cultural history. This helps us formulate new insights into the collection, determine our acquisition policy, and decide which artists we want to work with.

Collection and conservation
To learn how we can best preserve our collection for the future and slow down the natural decay of artworks, we research materials and practices related to restoration and conservation. For these types of studies, we often collaborate with SMBK and LIMA.

Innovation and museum practice
The Van Abbemuseum wants to develop innovative museum practices. We consider this practice as a research area in itself and want to stay at the forefront of developing new forms of audience engagement, education, exhibition making, and entrepreneurship.