Art exhibitions to visit in Amsterdam this autumn 2024

Explore the current art exhibitions at three of Amsterdam's major museums and institutions, and discover what's on the horizon this autumn. Highlights include exhibitions showcasing works by Wilhelmina Sasnal and Matthew Wong, along with the upcoming Unravel, previously on show at the Barbican Art Gallery, which explores textiles as a medium for storytelling. 

Wilhelm Sasnal: Painting as Prop

Unravel The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art, Installation view, Barbican Art Gallery. © Jemima Yong.

#FLODown: The Stedelijk Museum's exhibition Painting as Prop by Wilhelm Sasnal features twenty-five paintings, some of which appear as props in his film The Assistant (2024). This exhibition delves into the intersection of art and film, bridging the early 20th-century narratives of Walser with contemporary themes of adaptability, capitalism, and the evolution of modern art. Additionally, those who missed the Barbican’s textile exhibition Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art will have a chance to see it at the Stedelijk this September. Unravel presents over a hundred works by 45 artists, including Louise Bourgeois and Tracey Emin, demonstrating textiles as a potent medium for narrative in art. Click here for our review of Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art at the Barbican Centre, London.

Date: Wilhelm Sasnal: Painting as Prop until 1 September 2024; Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art from 14 September 2024 - 5 January 2025. Location: Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Museumplein 10, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands. Price: 22.50 EUR. Concessions available. stedelijk.nl.

Matthew Wong: Vincent van Gogh: Painting as a Last Resort

Matthew Wong,The Realm of Appearances, 2018, Private Collection © Matthew Wong Foundation c/o Pictoright Amsterdam 2023.

#FLODown: Currently at the Van Gogh Museum, explore the dynamic work of late Chinese-Canadian artist Matthew Wong and his profound connection with Vincent van Gogh, highlighting Wong’s vibrant landscapes and their shared themes of personal struggle. Looking ahead, the museum will celebrate 150 years of Impressionism with Vive l’impressionnisme! Masterpieces from Dutch Collections, featuring iconic works by Monet, Degas, and Pissarro from Dutch collections, running from 11 October 2024 - 26 January 2025. This exhibition will also delve into how these French masterpieces came to the Netherlands, with a focus on influential figures like Theo van Gogh. Furthermore, in March 2025, the museum will host a major exhibition by acclaimed German artist Anselm Kiefer.

Date: Vincent van Gogh: Painting as a Last Resort until 1 September 2024; Vive l’impressionnisme! Masterpieces from Dutch Collections from 11 October 2024 - 26 January 2025; Anselm Kiefer from 7 March 2025 - 9 June 2025. Location: Van Gogh Museum, Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands. Price: 22 EUR. vangoghmuseum.nl.

Point of View

Rijksmuseum, 2014. Photo: John Lewis Marshall.

#FLODown: The Rijksmuseum's exhibition Point of View explores gender concepts in Western Europe from the 16th to the 21st century through 150 works from its collection. Highlights include a portrait of the four-year-old William of Orange in a skirt, a dragon-shaped gold toothpick, and a glass with copulating roosters. The exhibition features artists like Gesina ter Borch and Robert Mapplethorpe. Co-curator Maria Holtrop notes that the exhibition reveals how evolving gender notions have shaped both art and everyday objects. Later in September, the museum will open Asian Bronze: 4000 Years of Beauty, showcasing 75 masterpieces of Asian bronze from around 2000 BC. The exhibition will include artifacts from countries such as Pakistan, India, and China, and will be accompanied by a symposium on January 9-10 2025, as well as a series of public programmes.

Date: Point of View until 1 September 2024; Asian Bronze: 4000 Years of Beauty from 27 September 2024 - 12 January 2025. Location: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam, Netherlands. Price: 22.50 EUR. rijksmuseum.nl/en.