Climate activists who throw cans of soup on paintings, or who glue themselves to picture frames, are currently a hot topic in the Dutch museum world. “We are concerned about preserving our cultural heritage. It’s the talk of the town. We understand that climate activists want to take action, but we are against this method because it can cause major damage. Incidentally, we do not yet have any indications of museums that have suffered damage,” says the Museum Association, the branch organization of all museums in the Netherlands.
The Museum Association has not yet given general advice to museums to prevent possible actions. “That is very difficult, because every museum has its own security measures and its own policy. It is, of course, clear that until now there was no check on the smuggling of cans of soup and that museums are now looking more closely. In most museums, large bags must be placed in a locker at the entrance,” according to the Museum Association.
Many museums, such as the Rijksmuseum, the Kröller-Müller Museum and the Van Abbemuseum, do not want to make any announcements about safety. “We don’t want to educate anyone about security,” says the Kröller-Müller Museum. “That could also give art thieves an idea.” The Van Gogh Museum states that measures are always taken to guarantee the safety of the art and the visitor. We keep a close eye on developments that influence this, such as these actions.”
According to the Museum Association, almost all works of art in Dutch museums are well protected. Sometimes they are behind special museum glass, but not always. That is also the case at the Mauritshuis. “We understand the climate activists. They advocate for nature conservation. But we are in favor of preserving our cultural heritage. Unfortunately, these actions have an impact on works of art,” says the Mauritshuis. The Art Museum in The Hague is discussing any additional measures this week, but does not want to provide any further insight into this.