The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, renowned for the world’s largest collection of the master’s works, has warned of a possible closure without new government funding. The institution emphasizes that the lack of additional support jeopardizes the reconstruction program, which costs 104 million euros, as well as the preservation of paintings and visitor safety. Indeed, the future of one of the country’s most popular cultural sites raises serious concerns, as reported by EuroNews.
Museum director Emilie Gordenker noted in an interview with The New York Times: “If this situation continues, it could become a threat to the artworks and our visitors. We don’t want this to happen, but under such circumstances, we will have to close the building.”
The conflict dates back to 1962 when the artist’s nephew, known as “The Engineer,” transferred the family collection to a special fund, with the condition that a museum be created, funded by the state for the preservation and public display of Van Gogh’s works. The museum’s opening in 1973 seemed like an undeniable victory for this agreement. Since then, the museum has been visited by about 57 million people, including a record 2.6 million in 2017.
Nevertheless, the building, which has been welcoming millions of visitors since the early 1970s, is in urgent need of updates. The ventilation and climate control systems have long exceeded their lifespan, safety and accessibility requirements have changed, and legislative norms for public facilities require costly upgrades.
In response to the current situation, the museum has developed the “Master Plan 2028” — a three-year program of updates and sustainable development work costing 104 million euros. Part of the funds is planned to be sourced from its own reserves and covering losses during partial closures, but the institution insists on an annual level of government support of 11 million euros to implement the project and form a long-term reserve. The Ministry of Culture currently offers only 8.5 million, leading to an annual deficit of 2.5 million euros.
The Vincent van Gogh Foundation, the legal owner of the collection, supported the museum’s position, reminding that according to the 1962 agreement, the state is obliged to provide the necessary conditions for the storage and display of the artist’s works.
Additionally, news reported on three previously unknown paintings that may belong to Ukrainian avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich. They were found with a pensioner in Israel and are currently exhibited in a museum in Romania. Despite the owner’s claims of the paintings’ authenticity, experts express skepticism due to the lack of documentary evidence and questionable provenance. Technical examinations do not provide definitive conclusions, and the museum hosting the exhibitions calls the display merely a “curatorial experiment.”
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