Mission & Vision

Bonnefanten aims to link the art world to society and to challenge people to better understand themselves and the world in which they live.

Bonnefanten

Surprisingly distinctive in ancient, modern and contemporary art.

Alongside modern and contemporary art, old masters find their place in the iconic building designed by the Italian architect Aldo Rossi. The Bonnefanten Museum tells stories with its permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, guided tours, special lectures, events and family activities. In the Museum Shop you will find a special selection of art gifts and in the museum cafe Ipanema you can enjoy a delicious lunch.

Vision

The Bonnefanten aims to link the art world to society and to challenge people to better understand themselves and the world in which they live.

Mission

Offer meaningful, aesthetic, educational, intellectual and cultural experiences to a wide and diverse public, thereby enriching people’s lives.

Ambition

To be the leading place, nationally and internationally, to discover non-mainstream artists and art practices.

The cornerstones of the Bonnefanten’s profile

General:

• Professional
  The Bonnefanten is committed to upholding the highest international professional standards, both with regard to art and in the areas of governance and professional museum ethics. We continually take example from the best practices in our field, which contributes to the Bonnefanten’s position as a reliable and respected player in the national and international museum world.
• Haven
  The Bonnefanten is a hospitable and inclusive haven for a wide and diverse public, and is actively involved in regional communities.
• Academic museum
  The Bonnefanten is innovative and exemplary in the areas of education, participation and talent development. In collaboration with regional partners, the museum also provides scope for critical dialogue about current social topics, in the form of lectures, symposia and debates.

Specific:

• Enquiring
  The Bonnefanten provides its public with a multivocal and interdisciplinary perspective on distinctive art histories. The museum takes an enquiring stance with regard to art practices that are off the beaten track and to interfaces and crossovers between visual art and other disciplines, whether old masters or contemporary art. The Bonnefanten aims to share this enquiring stance with its public.
• Perceptive
  As a perceptive museum, we keep a close watch on artistic and social developments. The museum has developed a unique antenna for the secret canon of art and artists that are not (or not yet) exhibited in most other museums. This enables it to fulfil the role of eye-opener and compass for art professionals, as well as for the general public. And the Bonnefanten focuses, in particular, on narratives that exceed the geographical and/or cultural boundaries of the dominant Western canon, or which take place outside them.
• Artists’ museum
  The Bonnefanten deliberately chooses to collaborate intensively with contemporary artists, in the form of solo exhibitions and special collection presentations. Wherever possible and relevant with regard to an exhibition, the museum facilitates artists in realising new work.
  

The factors that distinguish the Bonnefanten in the Dutch museum landscape are its role in pointing out connections and its exciting exhibition programming. The Bonnefanten deliberately chooses art and artists that are not (yet) found on all the mainstream platforms: the secret canon. These still underexposed art practices are unknown to the wider public and have seldom been exhibited in the Netherlands as yet. The museum seeks out local, regional, national and international artists, and focuses proactively on artistic practices from non-Western regions.

Interpreted in brand values for the Bonnefanten, the museum stands for:

• Exciting trendsetting presentations and challenging exhibitions
• Pioneering role and role in pointing out connections give a glimpse of other art worlds
• Hospitable environment, a haven
• Source of inspiration and creativity