ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Van Gogh is growing 1 ANNUAL REPORT 2016 ‘And be careful, because even though it’s no small thing that you’ve experienced, yet, if I see rightly, there is something greater in store’ Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, Dordrecht, Friday 23 March 1877 2 ‘And be careful, because even though it’s no small thing that you’ve experienced, yet, if I see rightly, there is something greater in store’ Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, Dordrecht, Friday 23 March 1877 3 ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Foreword fter the festive Van Gogh staged some outstanding AAnniversary Year in 2015, temporary exhibitions. In future with all its wonderful memories, we shall do five times a year. noteworthy projects and – of We engaged in many interesting course – the opening of the new coproductions with our inter- entrance building, 2016 was national partners, all of whom always destined to be some- proved as generous with their thing of an anticlimax, or so we time and resources as ever. And thought. It would be an ‘ordi- we were responsible for many nary’ year, an opportunity for inspiring and engaging initia- consolidation. We would have tives to bring art and culture time to pause, catch our breath into the lives of young and old and find our bearings before alike. pressing onwards and upwards. There would be no grand In a way, all this is a form of occasions or astonishing new consolidation and it was indeed projects. It would be ‘business ‘business as usual’. Nevertheless, as usual’ as we focused on our 2016 was also a very remark- core activities, doing so in the able year and one that will go dedicated, ambitious and down in the annals of the thoroughly grounded manner museum’s history. which the Van Gogh Museum has made its own. First of all, attendance figures showed a massive increase. For As we begin to write this Annual the first time ever, we passed Report, we must concede that the magic figure of two million 2016 was anything but ordinary, visitors. In fact, we welcomed no and certainly not dull. Once fewer than 2.1 million. It seems again, the Van Gogh Museum likely that the new entrance 4 Foreword 5 To Naarcontent inhoud ANNUAL REPORT 2016 building, with all those extra personal narrative with tracks square metres of floorspace, from his latest album. The launch did much to help us set this new of Embrace Vincent was timed record. to coincide with the Amsterdam Dance Event in October. Armin In February, we launched a new van Buuren himself was in online platform dedicated to attendance and over four- French Printmaking 1890-1905. teen million people worldwide It is the culmination of a long- watched the proceedings via held ambition and gives the a live video stream. It was an Van Gogh Museum’s unrivalled occasion we shall remember collection of fin-de-siècle prints with great fondness. the podium it deserves. Objects like this cannot be exhibited very There is another very good often. They are too fragile and reason to remember 2016. It susceptible to fading. We are was the year in which two stolen immensely proud to have made Van Gogh paintings were found. them accessible to the entire View of the Sea at Scheveningen world. (1882) and Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in A very different project involved Nuenen (1884/5) are now back collaboration with the world- where they belong. The story famous Dutch DJ Armin van began in September with a Buuren, who created a unique phone call from Italy. Authorities multimedia tour entitled in Naples believed they had Embrace Vincent especially recovered our canvases. for the museum. Visitors could They certainly looked like our view eleven of Armin’s favourite canvases: would we mind paintings while listening to sending an expert to take a a soundtrack combining a look? Imagine our joy and relief 6 Foreword when the works were confirmed This exhibition was a wonderful to be the genuine articles. example of how the conser- Their theft had left a gap in the vators and curators of the Van collection which could now be Gogh Museum draw inspiration filled. from the international academic community. To complement the The year’s temporary exhibi- exhibition, we hosted an expert tions were noteworthy, not least meeting at which art histo- for their themes. Easy Virtue rians and medical specialists examined prostitution in late discussed Vincent van Gogh’s nineteenth-century France, as mental health. This was one of seen through the eyes of Degas, the first events to be held under Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec and the banner of the new Van Gogh others. This was followed by On Museum Academy, through the Verge of Insanity: Van Gogh which the museum will profile and his Illness, which opened in itself as a leading research July. This exhibition was inspired institute and centre of expertise. by a book written by the British researcher Bernadette Murphy. In hindsight, it is astonishing She had found a document to see just how much the Van in a Californian archive which Gogh Museum accomplished suggested that Vincent van in the space of one ‘ordinary’ Gogh had not merely cut off year. In June, the new Meet part of his earlobe as sometimes Vincent van Gogh Experience claimed, but had lopped off was launched in Beijing, China. the entire ear. The exact extent This fully immersive, multimedia of his self-inflicted injuries has 3D presentation takes the visitor provoked speculation for well into Van Gogh’s world using over a century. projections, interactive instal- lations and video clips. It offers 7 To Naarcontent inhoud ANNUAL REPORT 2016 an insight into the artist’s life reduce our economic reliance on and work in a mix of education real-world visitors and admission and entertainment that is very charges. From the commercial appropriate to the modern era. perspective it is now essential that we do so. This is a matter to Meet Vincent van Gogh which we shall return elsewhere demonstrates how the Van in this Annual Report. Gogh Museum has success- fully risen to the challenges Another ongoing development facing today’s art institutes. is the conversion of our new Some challenges are the result premises on Gabriël Metsustraat, of international developments. which is to be head office of Geopolitical instability can the Van Gogh Museum. Work deter people from travelling, began in 2016 and necessi- for example. Others are rather tated a temporary relocation exciting: technology continues to premises elsewhere in the to develop at an astonishing city. This has inevitably caused rate, making the impossible some inconvenience. We must possible. Today’s museum remind ourselves that all staff visitor doesn’t have to visit a will soon be brought under one museum at all. He can expe- roof, which will greatly facilitate rience its delights in virtual cooperation. When we move into form without straying too far the new office building, which from home. The Meet Vincent is scheduled for completion in van Gogh Experience will visit the autumn of 2017, we shall places where the artist’s also implement flexible working paintings are unlikely to be practices such as ‘hot-desking’ shown. Fragile artworks no when at the office and working longer have to be transported from remote locations more from one museum to another. frequently. There are opportunities to Growth ambitions notwith- 8 Foreword standing, our mission remains receive from sponsors, donors, unaltered. We strive to make the the government and private life and work of Vincent individuals. It is thanks to them van Gogh accessible to as many that we have been so successful people as possible. We can do in pursuing our mission and are so even more effectively by often able to go just a little bit reaching out to the public at further than would otherwise be various locations and through possible. various channels. However, the Van Gogh Museum in We are extremely grateful. Amsterdam and its collec- We are also most grateful for tion will remain the heart and the support and cooperation of focus of our organization. For the Supervisory Board, the the directors and staff of the Advisory Council and the museum, that goes without members of the Vincent van Gogh saying. Foundation. Last but by no means least, we wish to record Even in an ‘ordinary’ year, we our thanks to the staff of the see a major dynamic in both Van Gogh Museum who have yet our artistic endeavours and again shown great commitment our business operations. The and enthusiasm. All have made Van Gogh Museum is therefore a significant contribution to a extremely fortunate to have so very gratifying year. many engaged friends and partners. The name of Vincent Axel Rüger, van Gogh continues to appeal Director to the imagination. Public interest in his life and work Adriaan Dönszelmann, seems unlikely to wane. This Managing Director accounts for the generous support we are fortunate to To content 9 Naar inhoud ANNUALANNUAL REPORT REPORT 2016 2016 27 September 2016, Guardia di Finanza law enforcement agency, Naples, Italy Nienke Bakker, curator of paintings for the Van Gogh Museum, authenticated two rediscovered paintings in the presence of former head of security for the Van Gogh Museum Dick Drent, the Neapolitan Public Prosecutor’s office and Guardia di Finanza officers. Read more > 10 11 To content ANNUAL REPORT 2016 21 October 2016, Entrance to the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam DJ Armin van Buuren performed live at the Van Gogh Museum as part of the 2016 Amsterdam Dance Event.