The Love of Art Comes First

Art & Project (Amsterdam 1968-1989, Slootdorp 1990-1998) was one of the pioneering galleries of contemporary art in the Netherlands and far beyond. Its founders Geert van Beijeren (1933-2005) and Adriaan van Ravesteijn (1938-2015) presented a programme featuring national and international artists, which was initially closely associated with the rise of conceptual art, but later broadened its focus with an emphasis on sculpture and painting.

Bulletins

Unique to Art & Project was the bulletin, which initially functioned as an exhibition announcement but was soon used by artists as an experimental medium for disseminating their ideas and even as a conceptual work of art.

Art & Project at the Kröller-Müller Museum

As an extension of their gallery activities, Geert van Beijeren and Adriaan van Ravesteijn assembled an impressive private collection, which reflects the programme of Art & Project. Over three hundred works, the largest part of this collection, were donated to the Kröller-Müller Museum in 2013.
The majority of the more than one hundred works in the exhibition, by artists including Jan Dibbets, Ger van Elk, Gilbert & George, Willy Ørskov, Barry Flanagan, Richard Long and Nicholas Pope, were part of this donation. Other works were previously purchased from Art & Project by the Kröller-Müller or by third parties and subsequently donated to the museum.

Artists' books and archive material

The exhibition also includes artists’ books and special archive material, including photographs, correspondence with artists, notes and objects. The pieces come from the Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD) in The Hague, where the Art & Project archive is housed.

Activities in the exhibition

The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive programme of activities for young and old. For example, pick up one of the Eye Openers in the exhibition and learn more about the artworks. Or have a chat with one of our exhibition guides. They will ask you a thought-provoking question, tell you more about the artwork and help you to make your own bulletin. The exhibition includes workstations where you can create your own bulletin, respond to statements and contribute something personal to the exhibition archive.

Book with previously unpublished material

The exhibition is accompanied by the voluminous publication Art & Project: A History. This examines the exhibitions, the bulletins, the gallery’s network and its influence in the (inter)national art world from various perspectives. The book is the result of extensive research and contains a great deal of previously unpublished (visual) material.

The research, exhibition and publication are made possible by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Helene Kröller-Müller Fund, the VriendenLoterij, AkzoNobel/Sikkens, the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund, Rembrandt Association, Stichting Van Eelen-Weeber, the Jaap Harten Fonds, the Madeleine Fonds and the De Gijselaar-Hintzenfonds, among others.

Exhibition at RKD

For this exhibition, the museum is collaborating with RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History in The Hague. Shortly after the opening at the museum, the exhibition Fotografie in het kunstenaarsboek. Uit de collectie Art & Project. (Photography in the artist's book. From the Art & Project collection) will open at the RKD on 10 October. This remains on display until September 2024.

Read the exhibition texts

*The title The Love of Art Comes First refers to an interview of Adriaan van Ravesteijn with Betty van Garrel, ‘Galerie Art & Project verhuist naar Wieringermeer: rijke mensen komen er niet in’ (Art & Project gallery moves to Wieringermeer: rich people won't get in), NRC 5 January 1990.