Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Reopens with 'The Collection as Time Machine'

In June 2017, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam launched 'The Collection as Time Machine', curated by Carel Blotkamp, a 72-year-old artist and emeritus professor at VU University Amsterdam. This exhibition showcases more than 500 pieces from the museum's extensive collection of 145,000, organized chronologically. It is segmented into eight distinct temporal blocks, each highlighted with unique colors by Peter Struycken. The display features notable contrasts, including works by Rubens and Watteau alongside contemporary pieces like Duane Hanson's 'Seated Child' and Maurizio Cattelan's 'Untitled (Manhole)'. The exhibition places a particular emphasis on art created after 1945, prompting discussions about the educational versus pleasurable roles of museums, especially following the Franceschini era in Italy.