History

The AkzoNobel Art Foundation was founded in 1996 at the request of the then Chairman of the Board, Mr Kees J.A. van Lede and Hester Alberdingk Thijm was appointed director. The Art Foundation was set-up as an independent non-profit foundation with board members from top levels of AkzoNobel and other corporates and influential representatives from the cultural sector.

The Art Foundation was tasked with laying the foundations for the collection and drawing up a policy for art and acquisitions. This process started with an extensive research within AkzoNobel as a company and its factories and within the cultural field.

Soon the idea to collect art got its own motivation: being a good citizen in a multicultural society. Artists reflect on society; the pioneering spirit of artists makes art and culture trailblazers for innovation in the company.

Since 2016, the AkzoNobel Art Foundation has an open Art Space where artworks from the collection are accessible to everyone.