This month sees the reopening of Amsterdam’s primary modern and contemporary art venue, the Stedelijk Museum, after more than eight years of renovations. Following that long period marked by construction delays, cost overruns, temporary relocations, and two successive new directors, the museum, now under the leadership of former L.A. MOCA curator Ann Goldstein, is ready to move forward. Debuting on September 23 in the refurbished century-old building is a rehang of the museum’s permanent collection of modern art and design, while the prefabricated white addition, designed by Benthem Crouwel architects, houses a show of new work by 20 contemporary artists with connections to the Netherlands. But problems remain at the museum — where recent tussles range from complaints about the new visual identity to dealing with requests for cuts in operating expenses from city funders — and for the local art scene more broadly. Art in Redlight, an annual event held at the Oude Kerk in the city’s infamous red-light district, will take the form of a fair the same weekend as the Stedelijk’s opening, only partly filling the void left when Art Amsterdam, which had been planned for this month, was canceled due to lack of exhibitor interest.
To see photos of the renovated and expanded Stedelijk Museum, click the slide show.
This article appears in the September issue of Art+Auction magazine.