Making sense of art and design industries

by tumblingdumpling

Experiencing the Stedelijk Museum

By tumblingdumpling

Over a short weekend trip to Amsterdam, I had the opportunity to experience Amsterdam’s museum for modern and contemporary art and design — the Stedelijk Museum. Stepping through the museum’s large revolving glass doors, I was hit by a cacophony of clinking glasses and a bustling crowd.

Coincidentally, it seems that the very night I had decided to pay the museum a visit had also been the date of the opening ceremony for the Prix de Rome exhibition — the oldest and most generous prize for Dutch artists and architects. Judging by the attire of the people attending, it seemed that hosting this exhibition had lured a number of high profile art enthusiasts through Stedelijk’s doors. Additionally, considering the prestige of the award in question, the collection is certain to boost Stedelijk’s visitations in the months to come.

Unfortunately though, this was not quite the “welcome” I had been expecting since the crowds were far too large (and too noisy) for me to consider venturing into the featured exhibits. Perhaps this could have been accredited to the fact that it was, after all, the night of the opening ceremony. Nevertheless, I went about my business exploring the other collections in the museum.

The museum had 3 floors, with Stedelijk’s Base Collection being divided between the top floor and basement. There were also free audio guides, a noteworthy addition considering how other museums like the Van Gogh Museum charged a couple of Euros for their guides.

Moving through the exhibits, I got the sense that the museum wanted me to immerse myself in the works. Most works had a room or space to themselves, and visitors were given the freedom to walk around and experience them from all angles. One collection I particularly enjoyed was Kleurrijk Japan, featuring posters in Japan’s characteristic style with bold, vibrant colors plastered across the walls of a room. There were a number of youngsters like myself who spent a fair amount of time in this space, sitting at the benches and appreciating the works.

I think what struck me about Stedelijk’s exhibition spaces was that each area was specifically tailored to host individual works, allowing visitors to best experience the essence of the work. Just comparing spaces for videos alone, I noted some distinct differences: a video featuring children talking about relationships was screened in a colorful, relaxed space with paddle pop beanbags — reminiscent of a playpen; whereas a video about typefaces was displayed in a more rigid setting, with simple wooden chairs lined up in front of a TV.

Overall, I could see that the Stedelijk Museum had put a considerable amount of effort in designing its spaces and curating its works to appeal to a younger audience. That being said, considering how Prix de Rome and Stedelijk’s other collections seemed to appeal to different audiences, perhaps Stedelijk could have prevented the jarring experience at the entrance (and managed the crowds) by staggering its opening hours and the ceremony timings.