Rotterdam’s Wereldmuseum (World Museum) would like to concentrate on Asia. Its collection of artworks from Africa could be sold. It is said the profits will guarantee a better, financially independent future. The Dutch museum world is up in arms.

The Rotterdam museum’s 125th anniversary is being marked by the 125 Masterpieces exhibition. African works of art fill one room. One figure, made in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is on loan from a private collector. He is considering taking back the piece because, like many in the Dutch museum world, he is angry with the Wereldmuseum’s director Stanley Bremer.

Why sell the Africa collection?
“That’s putting it the wrong way, because I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t necessary,” explains Mr Bremer.

“… Museum budgets are being constantly reduced. We have to make a choice. Do we want to remain an active and dynamic museum which mounts two to three exhibitions per year and which gets itself on the international map? Or do we want to get less money each year and gradually languish away. The last option’s not for me…”

The museum is doing surprisingly well financially: it generates 40 percent of its income independently, making it less reliant on subsidies than other Dutch museums. Despite this, Mr Bremer wants to improve the business acumen still further. He points to ever increasing culture sector cuts being made by both local and national government.

Focus on Asia
Mr Bremer has his sights set on a slimmed-down museum with a sharper focus.

“We’ve very quickly come to the conclusion that our future lies in being a museum of Asian art, possibly including Oceania too. There are already five Dutch museums with Africa collections. Another point is that the city of Rotterdam is strongly focused on Asia - the development of the Port of Rotterdam, and of China, Vietnam, Korea, India, Indonesia. They’re all very important countries as far as Rotterdam is concerned, countries in which we invest and where we want to do business.”

Rotterdam City Council owns the Wereldmuseum collection and has asked Mr Bremer to put his plans in writing. The response of his colleagues from other Dutch museums has meanwhile been one of shock. They condemn the idea of selling on the international market and believe the Rotterdam collection should be saved for the nation.

Exchange
Siebe Weide, director of the Netherlands Museums Association, says exchange would be more in line with what has been agreed by the association.

“If you want a better collection, there’s a perfectly good way forward: exchange. You can go a long way to improving collections by way of closed fairs. This means that the overall [national] collection remains unaltered, while redistribution leads to more logical connections, better stories.”

The Dutch culture sector is facing swingeing government cuts. In face of what they see as a threat to their future, more than 15 museums have joined together to form the Netherlands Museums Association. Mr Bremer sees a very different way forward and is not hesitant to court publicity.

(mw/imm)