Delinking and Relinking Reshuffled: material and climate

Climate renovation

In the spring of 2025, a portion of the Van Abbemuseum will be temporarily closed due to work on the climate installation. This renovation enhances the building’s sustainability and provides greater protection for the artworks, essential to keep fragile materials such as wood, textiles, paper and paint in optimal condition. At the same time, it is a huge energy consumer.

Pop-up exhibition

During this period, 120 artworks – currently on display in the collection presentation Delinking and Relinking – move to the pop-up exhibition Delinking and Relinking Reshuffled elsewhere in the museum building. In this temporary presentation art and climate engage in a dialogue. In a specialized depot-style arrangement, three rooms display about 40 works each. This presentation prompts contemplation on the role of art in sustainability. It transcends mere aesthetic appeal; it serves as a catalyst for bridging pressing contemporary themes.

Order of sensitivity

Delinking and Relinking Reshuffled presents works according to their sensitivity to climate. The first room shows artworks most sensitive to climate fluctuations, such as El Lissitzky's drawings, photography by Rineke Dijkstra and the textile piece This Means Tableau by Laure Prouvost. The second room presents artworks of average fragility. Think of the well-known Monochrome Blue, sans titre (IKB 63) by Yves Klein, stanley brouwn's metal measuring instruments and Otobong Nkanga's Scaffolding Series. Oil paintings, including famous works such as Pablo Picasso's Buste de femme and Charley Toorop's Volkslogement are less sensitive to climate fluctuations.

More about Delinking and Relinking

The collection presentation Delinking and Relinking reopens on 27 April 2025. With over 25 multisensory tools, including texts in Braille, scent interpretations, tactile drawings and sound scapes, it is the first fully multisensory collection presentation in the Netherlands.