News — Feb 16, 2011

The Stedelijk Museum proudly announces the gift of 63 artworks from Dutch collector Maurice van Valen. Spanning a variety of media, the gift features sculpture, paintings, video work, photography and works on paper by Dutch and international artists, including Atelier van Lieshout, Isa Genzken, Joseph Grigely, Rachel Harrison, Arnoud Holleman, Klaas Kloosterboer, Dana Lixenberg, Pieter Laurens Mol, Falke Pisano, Yutaka Sone, JCJ Vanderheyden and Eric Wesley. Beginning May 10, 2011, a selection of works will be presented at the Stedelijk Museum during Temporary Stedelijk 2, as part of the ground floor installation.

The Van Valen gift is notable for how it complements and builds upon the representation of several artists in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum. For example, Atelier van Lieshout’s table with six chairs and a bench, accompanied by a sitting and standing AVL Man, lend extraordinary depth to the existing group of objects by Atelier Van Lieshout in the museum’s collection. Works on paper by Pieter Laurens Mol, JCJ Vanderheyden, Arnoud Holleman and Klaas Kloosterboer also enhance those already represented in the collection. This is also true of works by leading international figures such as Isa Genzken and Rachel Harrison. Also notable are two larger bodies of work by Los Angeles-based artists Yutaka Sone and Eric Wesley, who are both new to the collection. The donation comprises two installations by Japaneseborn Sone (b. 1965), one of which is the infectious sculpture Snowman in Surprise Box (2004), which is accompanied by an ensemble of works on paper (Amsterdam Snowflake #1, #2, #3, among others) created partly in Amsterdam. Van Valen has donated a generous selection of 19 works on paper, a video and an installation by young multimedia artist Eric Wesley (b. 1973), whose work is informed by a fascination for and unease with the American way of life.

Maurice van Valen (b. 1971) is an Amsterdam-based lawyer who has also
lived in New York, Los Angeles and London. His passion for collecting began
in his youth, and since then he has assembled a rich and diverse collection
of contemporary art. Van Valen’s recent return to the Netherlands, roughly
coinciding with the appointment of Ann Goldstein as director of the Stedelijk
Museum, inspired him to make the donation.

Van Valen has said, “Living with art is a great privilege. I acquired the works included in this donation with excitement and joy, and I hope that my
enthusiasm for contemporary art will be passed along to others visiting the museum and studying the collection. The Stedelijk Museum holds many great memories of exhibitions such as ‘Kazimir Malevich,’ ‘Horn of Plenty,’ ‘Wild Walls’ and, most recently, the impressive opening of The Temporary Stedelijk. I am most delighted to be able to support the Stedelijk Museum in this way.”

With this generous gesture, Van Valen underscores the Stedelijk’s conviction that private collectors can make a significant and lasting contribution by supporting museums and participating in building and developing their collections. According to Van Valen, “Donations provide fresh support and positive energy to institutions and can play a vital role in enhancing their existing holdings of artists.”

Stedelijk Museum director Ann Goldstein on the Van Valen donation:
“We are grateful to Maurice van Valen for honoring the Stedelijk Museum in such a dynamic, thoughtful and meaningful way. This valued gift not only demonstrates his generosity toward the institution but also reflects the sincerity of his dedication to contemporary art and the artists he has
supported over the years.”