PRESS RELEASE
From 16 January to 3 May 2026, Museum Beelden aan Zee will open the New Year with a large-scale solo exhibition of work by the internationally renowned artist Magali Reus. For Tales and Reals, the Dutch artist returns to the coastal landscape of her youth, which also forms the backdrop to Museum Beelden aan Zee. Reus transforms everyday objects in a playful and unexpected way, to entice, intrigue, or even mislead. Of the three series of sculptures on display, two were created specifically for the exhibition. They offer an intriguing interplay of motifs, memories, and material seduction in a scenography deeply rooted in Scheveningen’s maritime landscape. During the same period, the museum will present sculptures and drawings by Theresia van der Pant, alongside a selection of films and a sculpture by the filmmaker and sculptor Man Ray. Information and tickets: www.beeldenaanzee.nl.
Magali Reus (b. 1981, The Hague) lives and works in London. The artist is known for her multi-layered sculptural series in which everyday objects are reinterpreted, using industrial manufacture and traditional craft techniques. Reus’s work is included in prominent collections including the Tate in London, the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. She has received numerous awards, including the 7th Arnaldo Pomodoro Sculpture Prize (2024) and the Prix de Rome (2015), and was shortlisted for the Hepworth Prize for Sculpture in 2018.
Nature, Technology, and Human Actions
Tales and Reals focuses on three interrelated series: the earlier Merlin (2024), and the works commissioned for this exhibition, Rig (2025), and Streamers (2025). These works are the result of in-depth research into ecology, consumption, and the impact of production processes. Curator Louise Bjeldbak Henriksen: “In a time of an increasing climate crisis, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate the objects we use and the produce we consume from their ecological impact. Magali Reus’s sculptures prompt us to consider the complex entanglements between nature, technology and human activity.”
At first glance, Magali Reus's works seem familiar. Thanks to her imagination, recognizable shapes take on an intangible and almost fictional character, described by the artist as "disobedient objects that perform a different image of themselves." They beckon, deceive, and encourage reflection.
Tales and Reals: three series
The Rig series plays with the dual meaning of fishing: both for relaxation and as a source of food, and as a metaphor for enticement and capture. The monumental wall sculptures, with their intriguing details, are reminiscent of jewellery or antique fishing lures. They seduce us with their brilliance, colour, and shape, but as we get close to them, the large fishhooks make us aware of our position as potential prey.
Merlins depict gigantic, enlarged sardine tins, their rings torn back and their lids forcefully ripped open. Beneath these gleaming surfaces, often adorned with seductive visual imagery, there are no catches of fish but unexpected objects. Are they protecting something, enclosing something, offering something, or just concealing something?
The Streamers are reminiscent of fish skeletons that have found their final resting place on the seabed or on our plates. These silhouettes of transience also appear festive. With their deep green, blue, and brown hues, upright and with vibrant colour accents, they subtly evoke the familiar Christmas tree and domestic winter rituals.
The connection with Scheveningen's maritime life is reinforced by several of the artist's architectural interventions, partly inspired by the containers to be seen in the harbour. The Magali Reus - Tales and Reals exhibition invites us to look beyond the mundane and unravel the hidden stories behind seemingly simple objects.
Theresia van der Pant
From 16 January to 3 May 2026, museum Beelden aan Zee will also be presenting a selection of sculptures and drawings by Theresia van der Pant (1924–2013) in the Cabinet and the Sea Gallery. Van der Pant is one of the most important Dutch post-war sculptors of the 20th century. She made portraits, but preferred figurative animal sculptures. Her studies in the Artis zoo led to largely abstract sculptures in which the characteristic forms and poses of animals determine the composition. The exhibition is curated by Joost Bergman and Camée van Blommestein. Volume 13: Theresia van der Pant will be published in the Monographs series of museum Beelden aan Zee. This publication contains articles on her life and work, as well as a complete oeuvre catalogue.
Man Ray – Cineast en beeldhouwer
To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Man Ray (1890–1976), Museum Beelden aan Zee is presenting a personal tribute to his unparalleled artistry. Driven by an unwavering curiosity, Man Ray established himself as a ground-breaking photographer and filmmaker, while his artistic home base in Paris brought him into contact with influential avant-garde artists such as Marcel Duchamp. Central to this exhibition is Herma (1975), a bronze sculpture from the museum's own collection that embodies Man Ray's timeless and revelatory vision. Alongside this work, we will also show a selection of his short films, offering visitors a unique glimpse into Man Ray's versatility and imagination as a sculptor as well as a filmmaker. From 16 January to 3 May 2026.
Museum Beelden aan Zee
Museum Beelden aan Zee in The Hague is the place in the Netherlands where sculpture, architecture, and nature converge, with an exhibition and public programme where tradition and innovation come together. The iconic museum building, nestled in the dunes, hosts approximately twelve exhibitions per year.
Partners:
Vriendenloterij - Don Quixote Foundation
Note for editors:
The press release and images in high resolution can be found at: https://www.beeldenaanzee.nl/en/press
For press accreditation and further questions:
museum Beelden aan Zee, Denise Hermanns / Stan Koppe / Julija Novovic
pr@beeldenaanzee.nl / +31 (0)70 358 58 57
Images:
Header: Magali Reus – Merlin (Rock and Sole), 2024. Courtesy to the artist and Galerie Greta Meert. Photo: Eva Herzog
Thumbnail: Hall overview Magali Reus - Tales and Reals, 2025. Photo: Studio Gerrit Schreurs.
Magali Reus – Rig (Crown Caps), 2025. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Greta Meert. Photo: Eva Herzog
Magali Reus - Merlin (Rock and Sole), 2024. Photo: Eva Herzog.
Portrait Magali Reus, 2026. Photo: Studio Gerrit Schreurs
