Rabobank Kunstcollectie

22-11-2007 |

An exhibition of art from corporate collections displayed in a dynamic urban setting in the heart of the Amsterdam Zuidas business district was opened on Thursday, 22 November 2007. The exhibition features sculptures by Fernando Sánchez Castillo, Charlie Roberts, Tony Cragg, Sjoerd Buisman, Ewerdt Hilgemann, Henk Visch and Rob Voerman and photography and video works by Thomas Ruff and Julika Rudelius. Energeia also showcases installations created especially for this location, such as the work by Frank Bruggeman.

The sculpture exhibition was realised through a unique alliance of the Vereniging Bedrijfscollecties Nederland (Netherlands Association of Corporate Art Collections – VBCN) and the Stichting Virtueel Museum Zuidas (Zuidas Virtual Museum Foundation). Independent curator Ernst van der Hoeven conceived the Energeia theme that served as the basis for selecting the works for this partnership. The Energeia theme demonstrates that Zuidas, an area of Amsterdam that has ultra-urban ambitions, is more than just a business district under development. Energeia places growth in a different perspective than simply the pursuit of development and urban success. It is a perspective that invites you to broaden your horizon. Thanks to a unique fusion of nature and culture, Energeia complements the image of a city in the making.

In addition to Rabobank’s participation, Rabo Bouwfonds, ING, ABN Amro, Aegon, Akzo Nobel, Fortis, KPN and SNS Reaal Fonds are also participating in Energeia and some of these organisations wanted to take part in the exhibition even though they do not have offices located in the Zuidas area. The unique alliance of corporate collections united within the VBCN is further symbolised by the collective lease of the artwork Machines, 2006, by Polish artist Lucasz Skapski. This tractor crystallises a collective memory by uniting the experiences of many generations of users. It stands as a robust symbol for the development of our environment. 

The aim is for the sculpture line to take on a continuous character. Another edition of this initiative could be held once every two years with the assistance of an external curator and a new theme. This would enable the art to develop with Zuidas on its path to maturity.