True Colors

Wouldn’t it be a good idea to bring our collections together? That’s what I fantasized about a few years ago with Benno Tempel, former director of the Kunstmuseum Den Haag.

An outspoken dream that has now resulted in the unique exhibition True Colors – AkzoNobel Art Foundation at Kunstmuseum Den Haag, where contemporary artworks from the AkzoNobel Art Foundation collection engage in dialogue with a selection of iconic works from the Kunstmuseum’s collection.

Since its establishment in 1996, the Art Foundation, thanks to the trust of AkzoNobel, a pioneer in the paint and coatings industry, has built a collection of over two thousand works by international con - temporary artists. Now, for the first time, a large selection of that collection is visible to the public in a museum setting.

The exhibition showcases artworks in which color is a significant subject. It explores the meaning of color in relation to form, space, and light, celebrating the richness of color in all its facets. Additionally, the exhibition focuses on humanity and our quest for identity. True Colors is also about showing your true colors. It addresses our society, our perspective on human nature, our relationship with our environment, and our view of our own history.

Hester Alberdingk Thijm