Ryan Gander X Edgar Degas

Museum Beelden aan Zee presents an exhibition that brings the work of British visual artist Ryan Gander (1976) and French painter and sculptor Edgar Degas (1834 - 1917) into dialogue. Since 2008, Gander has been working on a conceptual series in which he reinterprets Degas' world-famous sculpture Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans (1880-1881) and places it in a contemporary context. With his sculptures, Gander frees Degas' fourteen-year-old dancer from her pedestal and places her in various scenarios. The exhibition at Museum Beelden aan Zee showcases Gander's series of 22 ballerinas for the first time, and moreover, in direct connection with Degas' famous sculpture.

Turning Point
Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans marks the transition from classical to modern sculpture. With the image of the young ballerina in a modest and realistic pose, the French master not only captured the beauty of ballet life but also the tension between the discipline of ballet and the vulnerability of youth. More than a century later, Ryan Gander reflects on Degas' work with a series of ballerina images in unexpected or everyday situations, with the most poetic titles. His reinterpretations raise questions about the idealization of the ballerina and the role of art in presenting reality versus fiction.

Brigitte Bloksma, director of Museum Beelden aan Zee and curator of the exhibition, emphasizes: “The relationship between Degas' original work and Gander's approach offers a fascinating reflection on the perception of the ballerina and the subtle boundaries between art and everyday life. It shows how artists throughout time deal with themes such as movement, youth, and vulnerability.”

New Work
Ryan Gander X Edgar Degas – Pas de Deux is Ryan Gander's first solo exhibition in the Netherlands. The exhibition takes place thanks to a collaboration with public and private collections worldwide that lend their sculptures by Ryan Gander, and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, which grants the special loan of Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans (1880 – 1881/1922) by Degas. Museum Beelden aan Zee has commissioned Ryan Gander to create a new ballerina, Waiting for timefall, or Living in a time where everything is possible, but nothing can happen, the latest work in his series.

A publication accompanies the exhibition, including a contribution from the artist.

Curator: Brigitte Bloksma

Thumbnail: Ryan Gander - All things being equal, or, I’m with you (2018), Lisson Gallery Photo: Studio Gerrit Schreurs. © Ryan Gander c/o Pictoright Amsterdam 2025

Header image: Ryan Gander, A picture is worth ten words, max, 2013. Private collection. Photo: Studio Gerrit Schreurs. © Ryan Gander c/o Pictoright Amsterdam 2025. Edgar Degas, Petite danseuse de quatorze ans, 1880-1881 (1922). Collection Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Loan from Stichting Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Photo: Studio Tromp.

Click here for extra information on some of the exhibited sculptures by curator and director Brigitte Bloksma.