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Without a time slot you cannot visit the depot

Donors, friends and guests with a privilege pass may book a single or multiple time slots here
Donors, friends and guests with a privilege pass may book a single or multiple time slots here

Tickets

Join as a Friend

Would you also like to experience more Boijmans or give a friendship as a gift? Join as a Friend and get invited for the annual Museumpark Vriendendag. Will we see you or your friend in the depot soon?

Word vriend
Read aloud

'Together we blaze the trail in the true spirit of Rotterdam.'

As Head of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen’s Relations and Philanthropy Department, Minke van Hooff, plays a major role in realizing the plans for the depot. One of her jobs is to raise the funds needed to enhance the visitor experience.

The public depot concept has already been described as typical of Rotterdam. What’s your view?

We owe an important part of our collection to collectors. People who reflect the soul of Rotterdam; pioneers and hard workers with an inner drive to bring together objects of enduring beauty and meaning, from all over the world.

The museum’s existence is founded on the idea of sharing the collection with as many people as possible. But that’s easier said than done. At present we can show just eight percent of our collection in our museum building. Most of our objects are in storage in various depots that are closed to the public. In our museum depots we have to contend with serious damp problems. While forcing us to safeguard the collection as a matter of urgency, this situation also presents us with a unique opportunity to do something completely new. A building constructed around the principles of openness, accessibility and sharing.

'The museum’s existence is founded on the idea of sharing the collection with as many people as possible.’

Minke van Hooff, hoofd Relatiebeheer en filantropie.

What makes Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen so unique?

We are building the world’s first public art depot – a building that gives the public access to a museum’s entire art collection and offers visitors a glimpse behind the scenes to see how each work of art is cared for with passion.

All our visitors will soon be free to investigate, research or forage. They will be able to wander around the depot and choose their own voyage of discovery to find works that appeal to them and excite them. There are no themes or mapped routes; visitors will
have to think about their own taste, their own preconceptions and motives. They can make choices and enter into a personal relationship with eight centuries of artists and
collectors. We are giving access to 154,000 treasures. Everyone can choose their own favourite works of art from this enormous collection.

It sounds as if you are creating an experience as well as an art depot, is that right?

Certainly, but don’t forget that what we are building now is only the shell. We want
to add further elements that will make the visit and the depot into an unforgettable
experience. Think about it: the Atrium with floating display cases in which we can rotate different parts of the collection – all the chairs in the collection, for example.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be able to walk between them and underneath them? Literally look at the works from completely different angles?

We also want visitors to see how devoted we are to the collection, so we plan to make
four conservation workshops, each dedicated to a specific field; one workshop for large
objects, a second for wood, metal and ceramic artworks and sculptures, a third for
paintings and a fourth for textiles and paper. We also want to build a twenty-five-seat
cinema, where we can screen films from our collection.

This is just a small selection of what we want to achieve in the building, which is why
we are enlisting the help of anyone and everyone who wants to play a role in creating the world’s first publicly accessible art depot; a collaboration which the generations that come after us will also be able to enjoy.

How is the fundraising coming along?

Almost every day I sit around the table with people who want to know how they can contribute to this project, and it’s really not only about large gifts. It’s going well, but we’re not there yet: all support is welcome, small contributions, too.

If we succeed in raising the money, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen will be far more
than an amazing building housing a fantastic collection. We are creating the first and only space in the world that provides access to a complete collection without the interventionof a curator. We can make it, what I call ‘a transformative experience’ – something that will touch you and stay with you. I sincerely hope that many people will be willing to shape the future with us.

A restorer inspecting a painting by Jan van Eyck. Photo: Fred Ernst.
A restorer inspecting a painting by Jan van Eyck. Photo: Fred Ernst.
A work by Kees Van Dongen is transported to the conservation workshop. Photo: Kees Spruijt.
A work by Kees Van Dongen is transported to the conservation workshop. Photo: Kees Spruijt.

Depot Journal

This article has been published before in Depot Journal #1 which is part of a series of six. If you would like to receive all the printed Depot journals by post, please send an email to info@boijmans.nl with your full name and address, reference ‘receive Depot Journals’.

Would you like to help us build?

Would you like to help us build?

We have fantastic plans to make the interior of the building just as spectacular as the mirrored exterior. These include a stunning entrance area, four restoration studios, a cinema and a roof terrace that is freely accessible to all. Will you help us build?

Read here how you can contribute