Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam Unveils 'Blue Dots' Exhibition, Re-evaluating Art's Historical Value
The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is set to open its new exhibition, "Blue Dots," on November 29 in the IMC Gallery. This unique presentation invites visitors to look back at a surprising period of geopolitical tension—the Cold War—and its unexpected influence on how art collections were valued.
A Glimpse into Cold War Art Classification
In 1951, the Dutch government implemented a system requiring museums to categorize their collections for potential evacuation during wartime. This system used colored "evacuation dots" to prioritize artworks: red for "very important," white for "important," and blue for "less important."
Curator Nadia Abdelkaui, who joined the Stedelijk in 2024, uncovered this classification system during her research. She noted that while the practice was standard at the time, it had largely been forgotten. Her investigation revealed that the system primarily applied to paintings; other collections like sculpture, drawing, applied art, photography, graphic design, and industrial design were either partially classified or deemed less significant. The focus on "autonomous, non-reproducible art" meant that traditional and modern figurative paintings often received a blue dot.
Bringing 'Blue Dot' Artworks Back into Focus
The "Blue Dots" exhibition shines a spotlight on pieces that were once relegated to the "less important" category. These include works by notable 19th-century artists such as Jozef Israëls and Thérèse Schwartze, alongside lesser-known names like José Maria Rodriguez-Acosta and Marie de Roode-Heijermans. Nola Hatterman, an artist now celebrated, also had her work marked with a blue dot, including her 1930 oil on canvas 'Louis Richard Drenthe / On the Terrace'.
Rein Wolfs, director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, highlighted how the exhibition demonstrates the shifting perspectives on art. He noted that Nola Hatterman's 'Op het terras' is now considered a key work in the museum's permanent collection, having even been featured in a major exhibition about The Harlem Renaissance in New York. This evolution underscores how narratives around art are continuously reinterpreted.
Between 1951 and 1965, approximately 10% of the museum's artworks, predominantly still lifes, landscapes, and cityscapes, were assigned a blue dot. This largely reflected the Stedelijk's modernist orientation at the time, under director Willem Sandberg, who favored abstract and expressionist works and innovation in art.
Exploring Evolving Perspectives on Art and Culture in Amsterdam
Seventy-five years later, "Blue Dots" prompts reflection on what truly holds importance and what we aim to preserve for future generations. The exhibition offers a unique opportunity for visitors to engage with the museum's history, the criteria that shaped its collection in a specific era, and how those valuations have transformed over time. It’s a chance to consider how cultural institutions respond to external pressures and how the perception of art evolves.
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