Aboriginal Art Museum in Utrecht, Holland

First Aboriginal Art Museum in Europe

Annette van Ham

May 31, 2004 - Annette van Ham is the curator and education officer at the Aboriginal Art
Museum in Utrecht, Holland, since December 2000. And when she touched base with Arts
Hub, looking to tell the story of how a very Australian Art museum is flying the flag of
Indigenous Australian art and culture with great success on the other side of the world – this
was clearly a story worth telling.

The Aboriginal Art Museum is the first and so far only museum specifically for Aboriginal art
i n E u r o p e , a n d f u n n i l y e n o u g h i t i s s i t u a t e d i n a s m a l l t o wn – U t r e c h t – i n a s m a l l n o r t h e r n
c o u n t r y – T h e N e t h e r l a n d s . T h i s s t o r y b e g a n i n 1 9 9 4 – wi t h a D u t c h i m p o r t c o m p a n y f o r
A b o r i g i n a l a r t , wh i c h b o u g h t A b o r i g i n a l a r t d i r e c t l y a t t h e m a n y a r t c e n t r e s i n t h e d e s e r t a n d
i n A r n h e m L a n d . H o we v e r c o n s c i e n c e a n d c u l t u r e s t a r t e d d o i n g b a t t l e wi t h p r o f i t , b e c a u s e t h e
o wn e r s o f t h e c o m p a n y k e p t d i s c o v e r i n g a r t wo r k s t h e y f e l t s h o u l d n o t b e s o l d . S o i n s t e a d t h e y
s t a r t e d c o l l e c t i n g t h e s e p i e c e s . A n d a f t e r a wh i l e t h e y r e a l i z e d t h a t t h e c o n t e m p o r a r y
A b o r i g i n a l a r t t h e y we r e c o l l e c t i n g wa s h a r d l y r e p r e s e n t e d i n a n y D u t c h o r E u r o p e a n m u s e u m
c o l l e c t i o n a c r o s s t h e c o n t i n e n t . I f t h e r e wa s a n y r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a t a l l , i t wa s i n e t h n o g r a p h i c
m u s e u m s a n d n o t i n a r t m u s e u m s . A b o r i g i n a l a r t wa s c o n s i d e r e d e i t h e r e t h n o g r a p h i c o r f o l k -
art, or an inauthentic and commercial play-off of traditional Aboriginal culture. The idea of
s e t t i n g u p a m u s e u m f o r A b o r i g i n a l a r t , wh i c h i s i n f a c t a r e m a r k a b l e n e w a r t f o r m t h a t h a s
e m e r g e d f r o m t h e c o n t a c t b e t we e n t wo c i v i l i z a t i o n s , wa s b o r n .

T h e f o u n d a t i o n A b o r i g i n a l A r t M u s e u m wa s r a i s e d wi t h t h e h e l p o f o t h e r D u t c h c o l l e c t o r s a n d
i n t e r e s t e d p a r t i e s . T h e y p u t f o r wa r d t h e f i n a n c ia l m e a n s f o r t h e r e a l i z a t i o n o f t h e m u s e u m ,
a n d a s u i t a b l e b u i l d i n g wa s f o u n d i n t h e c e n t r e o f t h e c i t y o f U t r e c h t , o n e o f H o l l a n d ’ s o l d
c i t i e s i n t h e m i d d l e o f t h e c o u n t r y . U t r ec h t d o e s n o t h a v e a n i m p o r t a n t e t h n o g r a p h i c a l
m u s e u m l i k e A m s t e r d a m a n d R o t t e r d a m , s o n o n - we s t e r n a r t i s d i f f i c u l t t o s e e a n d e x p e r i e n c e
i n t h i s c i t y . T h e A b o r i g i n a l A r t M u s e u m , wh i c h o p e n e d i n M a r c h 2 0 0 1 h a s b e e n a wo n d e r f u l
a d d i t i o n t o t h e e x i s t i n g r a n g e o f m u s e u m s i n t h i s t o wn .

The board of the museum currently consists of six people, including one of the original
f o u n d e r s a n d a f o r m e r d i r e c t o r o f t h e R i j k s m u s e u m i n A m s t e r d a m . W e wo r k wi t h a s t a f f o f
s e v e n p e o p l e wh o a l l h a v e p a r t - t i m e p o s i t i o n s . A c h a n g i n g g r o u p o f a b o u t t h i r t y v o l u n t e e r s
a n d f i f t e e n v o l u n t e e r g u i d e s f u r t h e r s u p p o r t t he o r g a n i s a t i o n . F o r e d u c a t i o n a n d m a r k e t i n g we
u s u a l l y h a v e o n e o r t wo i n t e r n s wh o a s s i s t t h e s t a f f a n d l e a r n a b o u t t h e m u s e u m p r o f e s s i o n .
F u n d i n g f o r t h e m u s e u m h a s s o f a r b e e n f r o m p r i v a t e m e a n s , b u t we a r e s e e k i n g l o n g - t e r m
s p o n s o r s h i p a n d g o v e r n m e n t s u p p o r t . T h e m u s e u m i s s l o wl y b u t s u r e l y p r o v i n g t h a t A b o r i g i n a l
art is an important and exciting art form that needs a serious, dedicated platform in Europe,
a n d t h i s i s t h e b a s i s o n wh i c h we t h i n k a d d i t i o n a l f u n d i n g wi l l b e f o u n d .

Each year, either the director of the museum or myself, as curator, visit the Australian state
g a l l e r i e s a n d m u s e u m s a s we l l a s o n e o r t wo o f t h e r e m o t e a r t c e n t r e s . I n t h i s wa y we k e e p i n
t o u c h wi t h t h e a l l - i m p o r t a n t A u s t r a l i a n n e t wo r k a n d wi t h t h e l a t e s t d e v e l o p m e n t s . A n d i n J u l y
t h i s y e a r , I wi l l b e v i s i t i n g Q u e e n s l a n d a n d A l i c e S p r i n g s , a s we l l a s t h e a r t c e n t r e s a t
Yuendumu and Mount Liebig.

T h e m u s e u m h a s a c o l l e c t i o n o f a b o u t 5 0 0 wo r k s , m a i n l y f r o m t h e d e s e r t a n d A r n h e m L a n d ,
b u t a l s o f r o m t h e T i wi I s l a n d s a n d t h e K i m b e r l e y r e g i o n . T h e c o l l e c t i o n i s o b v i o u s l y l i m i t e d i n
i t s s c o p e : i t wa s b o u g h t b e t we e n 1 9 9 4 a n d 1 9 9 9 , a n d n o t wi t h t h e i d e a o f a m u s e u m c o l l e c t i o n
i n m i n d . B u t i t i s a g o o d b a s i s t o b e g i n wo r k wit h . A t t h i s p o i n t i n t i m e , we h a v e n o b u d g e t t o
a c q u i r e n e w wo r k s .
T h a t i s wh y we we r e v e r y f o r t u n a t e i n d e e d , wh e n i n 2 0 0 2 a n r e n o wn e d D u t c h c o l l e c t o r o f
Aboriginal art decided to give his entire collection on loan to the museum. His very generous
m o v e h a s t r i p l e d t h e c o l l e c t i o n a n d h a s b r o a d e n e d t h e r a n g e o f wo r k s r e a d i l y a v a i l a b l e f o r
e x h i b i t i o n c o n s i d e r a b l y. I n a d d i t i o n , t h e m u s e u m wo r k s wi t h l o a n s f r o m p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e
c o l l e c t i o n s i n E u r o p e , A m e r i c a a n d A u s t r a l i a . W e a l s o l o a n wo r k s f r o m o u r c o l l e c t i o n t o o t h e r
museums, for example to the Musee d’Arts Africains, Océaniens, Amérindiens in Marseille,
F r a n c e , wh e r e a n e x h i b i t i o n o f a r t f r o m B a l g o H i l l s wi l l o p e n o n 4 J u n e 2 0 0 4 .

T h e A b o r i g i n a l A r t M u s e u m p r e s e n t s t wo t o t h r e e c h a n g i n g e x h i b i t i o n s a y e a r . W e d o n o t h a v e
a n y p e r m a n e n t d i s p l a y s . I n 2 0 0 2 we h o s t e d t h e p r i v a t e c o l l e c t i o n d e s e r t p a i n t i n g s o f
M e l b o u r n e g a l l e r y o wn e r G a b r i e l l e P i z z i . M a n i n g r i d a A r t s & C u l t u r e h a s l e n t u s a s e r i e s o f
p r i n t s f o r a n A r n h e m L a n d e x h i b i t i o n a n d f r o m t h e H o l m e s à C o u r t C o l l e c t i o n we b o r r o we d t h e
beautiful silk batiks from Utopia in 2003. We currently show photographs of urban based
artists like Fiona Foley, Brenda Croft and Michael Riley in the exhibition IMAGES. These
wo r k s a r e a l l o n l o a n f r o m t h e a r t i s t s o r t h e i r r e p r e s e n t i n g g a l l e r i e s .

Our exhibitions are supported by educational programs. We show films in our auditorium and
have an extensive reading table on the ground floor. Visitors can book a guided tour or
i n d i v i d u a l l y j o i n o n e e v e r y S u n d a y a f t e r n o o n . W e r e c e i v e s c h o o l g r o u p s wi t h a s p e c i a l
children’s program and organise summer activities for individual children. With each
exhibition an educational booklet for individual children is developed. For the current
e x h i b i t i o n I M A G E S we h a v e d e v e l o p e d a s p e c i f i c h i g h s c h o o l p r o g r a m f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e .

T h e m u s e u m h a s a b o u t 2 5 , 0 0 0 v i s i t o r s e a c h ye a r . W e f i n d t h a t t h e p u b l i c r e a c t s v e r y
p o s i t i v e l y t o t h e wo r k w e p r e s e n t a n d t h a t o u r e x h i b i t i o n s m a k e i t c l e a r t h a t A b o r i g i n a l a r t i s a
h i g h l y e x c i t i n g c o n t e m p o r a r y a r t . I n g e n e r a l p eo p l e d o h o we v e r c o m e i n t o t h e m u s e u m wi t h
o t h e r e x p e c t a t i o n s . C r u d e l y p u t : i f t h e y k n o w a n yt h i n g a b o u t A b o r i g i n a l c u l t u r e a t a l l , i t i s
l i m i t e d t o t h e n o t i o n t h a t i t i s p r i m i t i v e ; t ha t A b o r i g i n a l p e o p l e a r e t o b e p i t i e d b e c a u s e t h e y
a r e r e p r e s s e d ; o r t h e y h a v e r e a d t h e p o p u l a r b o o k M u t a n t M e s s a g e D o wn U n d e r ’ b y M a r l o
M o r g a n a n d t h i n k o f A b o r i g i n a l p e o p l e a s wi s e n o b l e s a v a g e s . O u r e x h i b i t i o n s p r e s e n t a
d i f f e r e n t , m o r e r e a l i s t i c p e r s p e c t i v e a n d we c o n s i d e r t h e e d u c a t i o n a l p r o g r a m s a v e r y
i m p o r t a n t g o a l o f t h e m u s e u m . D u t c h a n d E u r op e a n p r e s s r e a c t i o n s t o o u r e x h i b i t i o n s a r e
usually positive but descriptive rather than deconstructive. Because journalists still know so
little about Aboriginal art, critical discourse on our exhibitions and the position the museum
t a k e s , i s v e r y r a r e . B u t we a r e o p t i m i s t i c f o r t h e f u t u r e .

To find out more about the Aboriginal Art Museum in Utrecht, Holland visit:
www.aamu.nl.

Annette van Ham

Annette van Ham is an art historian. She first became interested in Aboriginal art while
preparing for her internship at the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane in 1991. After her work
at the QAG, she had the chance to go on tour throughout Queensland with the Flying School
of the Arts, and to work in the Devenport Gallery and Arts Centre in Devenport, Tasmania.
She then went to the NT for a stint as cook on a large cattlestation. After her return to
Holland in 1992, she managed a small commercial Aboriginal art gallery in Rotterdam, to
c o m e b a c k t o A u s t r a l i a t o d o h e r M a s t e r ’s D e g re e a t J a m e s C o o k U n i v e r s i t y i n T o w n s v i l l e i n
1994. As board member of the INMA foundation for the promotion of Aboriginal art in Europe,
she was involved in organising the exhibition ‘Desert Tracks, Aboriginal art from the heart of
Australia’ in Amsterdam and Antwerp and the publication of the Dutch book with the same title
in 1995. From 1996 to 2000 she gave lectures on Aboriginal art in The Netherlands and
Belgium, wrote several articles on the subject and traveled to Australia whenever the
possibility arose. At the end of 2000, she was appointed curator and education officer of the
new Aboriginal Art Museum in Utrecht.
a.vanham@aamu.nl
http://www.aamu.nl

Source: A r t s Hub Australia