Collection as Cosmos, Dommelplein and System Thinkers

The Van Abbemuseum looks to the future of its collection with a major reinstallation of its holdings. Collection as Cosmos sets out with a display that takes the cosmos—and its expansive relationship to time—as its inspiration. The reinstallation will coincide with the opening of the Dommelplein—a newly developed ground floor located along the Dommel River—along with the launch of its new initiative, System Thinkers.

Drawing on kosmos—order and chaos—Collection as Cosmos embraces non-linear temporalities, favouring constellations of meaning over chronology. The exhibition brings together over 250 works from the museum’s collection and is installed across eleven galleries, with each gallery presenting interconnected environments where artworks are positioned like stars, clustered, dispersed, and re-aligned, inviting visitors to experience different kinds of time simultaneously. Highlights include Karel Appel’s Between Banner and Flag (1987), shown for the first time in forty years; Rebecca Horn’s The Moon, the Child and the River of Anarchy (1992); and Guercino’s Andromeda (circa 1660), the oldest work in the collection and marking the museum’s deaccession initiative. Recent acquisitions include works by Ima-Abasi Okon, Nolan Oswald Dennis, Haegue Yang, and Carolyn Lazard. See full artist list here.

The exhibition is organised around four research threads, with artists as researchers who shape its underlying structure. Unchronological Time, developed with Another Roadmap Africa Cluster (ARAC), explores the relationship between artworks and personal history. Regenerative Time, developed with artist and death researcher G, explores the cycles of death and mourning for both material objects and immaterial systems. Public Time draws inspiration from Ima-Abasi Okon’s road running practice and explores how we can suspend conventional time within a museum setting. Cosmic Times, developed with Nolan Oswald Dennis, connects celestial and earthly rhythms, referencing the cosmos and the night sky to address local issues.

The opening of Collection as Cosmos will feature two keynote speeches by Gargi Bhattacharyya, author of We, the Heartbroken, and Alice Sparkly Kat, author of Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets Through Capital, Power, and Labour.

The Newly Imagined Ground Floor: Dommelplein
Coinciding with the reopening of the collection display, the Van Abbemuseum activates its ground floor as a public-facing environment and a visible entry point into its evolving institutional direction. For the first time, the original 1936 building is fully integrated with the newer structure via a connecting passageway, forming a continuous spatial and curatorial circuit that expands the museum’s capacity for both collection interventions and temporary exhibitions. Located along the Dommel River, the space accommodates workshops, talks, meditation, children’s activities, multi-faith use, and informal gatherings, alongside installations and long-term artistic projects. A dynamic daily programme unfolds through rituals, encounters, conversations, workshops, play, and moments of quiet reflection. Generous contributions include works by Sarkis, Ad Minoliti, and Geo–Design, Design Academy Eindhoven (with works by a.o Brynjar Sigurðarson, Benze de Ream, and Yuhan Fang brought together by Merve Bedir and developed with Metahaven), as well as inaugural System Thinkers* john gerrard, Ayoung Kim, and ADEZIV network, dedicated to neuroliberation, alongside collaborations with local partners Archipel, a care organisation supporting people with intellectual disabilities through creative and social programmes; Studio Woensel-West, a neighbourhood-based initiative focused on co-creation, design, and community development; and Tante Netty, a collective working at the intersection of art, design, and social practice.

*The Van Abbemuseum is expanding its capacity for artistic research. This is achieved through its inaugural cohort of System Thinkers, practitioners invited to work over a two-year period across multiple formats and scales. The inaugural group of System Thinkers includes Ayoung Kim, john gerrard, Ayumi Paul, Kate Crawford, Vladan Joler, and the ADEZIV network. 

Collection as Cosmos is conceived and curated by Yolande Zola Zoli van der Heide (Senior Curator) and developed together with Defne Ayas (Director), Steven ten Thije (Head of Collections), Abril Cisneros Ramírez (Assistant Curator), Nikita Hurkmans (Project Manager), and the wider Van Abbemuseum team. Exhibition design by Studio Matilde Cassani (Matilde Cassani, Leonardo Gatti, Cecilia da Pozzo) and graphic design by Studio Pupilla. See full credit list here.

Dommelplein is conceived by Defne Ayas with the wider Van Abbemuseum team and constituent groups. Design by Studio Matilde Cassani with graphic design by Studio Pupilla.

Notes to editors
Press enquiries:  Millie O’Connor, millie@sam-talbot.com.