Joop van Caldenborgh on building Museum Voorlinden and collecting art

Dutch collector Joop van Caldenborgh, founder of chemicals company Caldic, began collecting art at age 16 with a portfolio of prints by Peter Struycken bought with paper route money. His collection, featuring Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois, and Anselm Kiefer, grew too large for his home and offices, prompting him to build Museum Voorlinden near The Hague, which opened in 2016. The museum, designed as a long, low building with extensive gardens, is compared to Louisiana Museum in Denmark and Fondation Beyeler near Basel. Van Caldenborgh has donated his collection to the museum and continues to add new acquisitions. For its tenth anniversary, the museum is hosting an exhibition of choreographer William Forsythe (until 23 August). His most recent purchase is an eight-metre-long painting by Howardena Pindell from White Cube. He regrets not buying a Louise Bourgeois spider at auction but will borrow one from Louisiana Museum for the anniversary exhibition (12 September to 7 March 2027). He favors quick buying decisions, likening it to love at first sight. In Basel, he enjoys the terrace at Le Trois Rois and takes day trips to Zurich by train to escape the fair crowds. He recommends swimming in the Rhine near Museum Tinguely.