Arp Subcollection
In 2023, the museum Beelden aan Zee received an exceptional donation of 22 sculptures by the Franco-German artist Hans Arp, a pioneer of modern sculpture. The works, originating from the collection of the Stiftung Hans Arp und Sophie Taeuber-Arp e.V., strengthen the museum's position as an international expertise center for sculpture. The donation forms a solid foundation for future research, restoration, and public programs around Arp's groundbreaking formal language and his influence on abstract art.
The Arp Subcollection
In 2023, the Stiftung Hans Arp und Sophie Taeuber-Arp e.V. made a historic donation of 220 works by Hans Arp (1886–1966), one of the most important sculptors of the early twentieth century and a key figure in the European avant-garde. The French-German artist created groundbreaking plaster works during his lifetime that reflect his unique formal language. Ten institutions worldwide, including the Nasher Sculpture Center, Busch-Reisinger - Harvard Art Museums, the Gerhard-Marcks-Haus, and museum Beelden aan Zee, received a donation.
The donation of 21 plaster and one bronze sculpture to museum Beelden aan Zee is of great significance for the museum's profile and the future of the Gipsotheek. This acquisition of this subcollection not only strengthens the museum's position as a specialist center for sculpture but also provides the Gipsotheek with a solid foundation within abstract, modern art. Moreover, the Arp sculptures enable the museum to present Dutch sculpture in a broader, international context.
Research and Restoration
In the coming years, our museum, in collaboration with Dutch and international partners, will conduct multi-year research into the studio, practice, and visual language of Hans Arp. This autumn, we will begin the restoration of two plaster works from our depot. This process, carried out by restorer Roosmarijn van Beemen is partly visible in our Gipsotheek.