Culture

What’s there to see at the Rijksmuseum? Oh, you know: sculptures from the Middle Ages; 18th-century decorative arts; a bit of everything from the 19th century; 20th-century minimalism and modernism; the zero movement; romanesques; the baroque; mannerism; gothic art; the renaissance; rococo; classicism; the Italianate; art nouveau; impressionism; Romanticism; bronzes; still lifes; Asian art; artefacts from 11th-century churches; Vermeer; Van Gogh; Rembrandt; silverware; Samurai helmets; ceremonial swords; Meissen porcelain; Delft pottery; a tiny potty; a lead-booted diving suit; models of ships; lighthouses. And shoes. 

“Less is more,” says director Taco Dibbits. Less? There are about 8,000 objects in 80 galleries chosen from one million pieces in the collection. “It was really a case of ‘kill your darlings’,” he says of the choice. Luckily, he still has 992,000 darlings left to play with. 

Toronto-born Maxine Kopsa co-founded Kunstverein as a platform for artists she considered to be historically overlooked. The intimate space is near the bigger commercial galleries in Jordaan but has a more distinctive and experimental tone. Kunstverein’s roster of lectures, screenings and performances doesn’t follow the traditional format: exhibitions are rarely limited to pictures on walls, instead often spilling over into books and sometimes furniture. Previous shows have featured works from Israeli choreographer Noa Eshkol and British constructivism maverick Marlow Moss. The gallery also has an independent publishing arm and sells print publications that will appeal to graphic-design enthusiasts and offbeat-art lovers.

There’s a cluster of commercial galleries in the south of Jordaan, where Annet Gelink Gallery has been since 2000. Founder Annet Gelink and director Floor Wullems have built a stable of talent, mostly discovered at the Rijksakademie. Represented artists include Amsterdam resident Maria Barnas, Japanese film director Meiro Koizumi and Israeli artist Yael Bartana; there’s also Croatian David Maljkovic, who explores the cultural and social heritage of his home country. The gallery’s oeuvre is hard-hitting and often political.