At a glance
Modern masterpieces from global institutions pair with contemporary collection highlights, overtaking the entire gallery spaces to trace how visual ideas evolve across generations.
Why go
For its tenth anniversary, the museum reconfigures its entire footprint for the first time, securing loans from international partner institutions to stage unexpected pairings between modern pioneers and contemporary voices.
You'll see
Twentieth-century loans · Contemporary collection highlights · Large-scale sculptures · International avant-garde masterpieces
Pace of visit
The expansive layout spans the entire building and connects with permanent outdoor sculptures, inviting an afternoon of unhurried exploration.
Don't miss
Ron Mueck's monumental sculpture Boy, a hyperrealistic centerpiece that highlights the collection's focus on scale and human presence.
Artlovers Tip
Allow extra time to explore the surrounding gardens and the museum's permanent site-specific installations, like Richard Serra's massive steel sculptures, which complement the anniversary show.
Inside the exhibition
Meet the artist
Description
To mark its tenth anniversary, Celebrating the Icons of Art opens at the Voorlinden museum & gardens in Wassenaar, Netherlands. This expansive presentation reconfigures the institution's gallery spaces to place its own holdings in direct contact with landmark twentieth-century loans. The curation avoids a traditional chronological layout, choosing instead to focus on how visual forms and concepts travel across generations.
The selection features works by influential figures including Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Francis Bacon, and Yayoi Kusama, alongside contemporary pieces by artists like Ron Mueck and Pascale Marthine Tayou. Visitors encounter a wide variety of mediums, from intimate modernist paintings to large-scale contemporary installations and sculptures. These loans from international partner institutions complement the museum's own rapidly formed collection, highlighting pieces that have defined the venue's identity over the decade.
By displaying historical avant-garde milestones next to current artistic practices, the exhibition challenges conventional narratives of art history. The presentation demonstrates how older masterpieces continue to influence current aesthetics while giving fresh context to the museum's permanent indoor installations. It provides a comprehensive look at the evolution of modern visual language within a setting that integrates architecture, art, and nature.
Worth travelling for?
A substantial and rewarding destination for travelers who appreciate modern masterpieces displayed alongside contemporary art within a beautifully integrated architectural and natural landscape.
Experience as an Artlover
The museum is open daily from 11am to 5pm, including major winter holidays such as Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day.
Celebrating the Icons of Art
Artlovers relevance
Plan your visit
Hours & rating from Google