Duologue: Art from past and present, face to face

Duologue shows that art, however old it may be, is always in dialogue with the present.

• On view: 12 March to 7 June 2026
• Curator: Mees Knarren

Five encounters between old masters and contemporary art from the Bonnefanten’s collection have been set up. The exciting duos enter into direct dialogue – with one another and with visitors. The result is sometimes confrontational and sometimes poetic, but always urgent.

Timeless similarities

The works in Duologue seem made for one another, even though they are separated by hundreds of years. Time appears effortlessly transcended by form, attitude or imagery. These visual similarities create new meanings and sharp questions: what can the past tell us about the present, and vice versa?

Make yourself heard

A mediaeval panel uses a banderole to convey God’s word, and on a similar banderole in a contemporary work by Ed Templeton a young harlequin speaks out about the right to abortion. The works are centuries apart, but they have the same urgency. More and more voices clamour to be heard.

Endless dialogue

Visitors are invited to give their own meanings. Extra context can be found on the wall labels, but the main focus is on association and power of imagination. Duologue specifically opts for a light-hearted, experimental installation, in which looking is more important than knowing.

Prelude to innovation

Through this trans-historical presentation, the Bonnefanten is giving a taste of the innovative reinstallation of the whole Old Masters floor. This reinstallation, which is currently in preparation, will present old and contemporary masters together more often, in order to reveal new stories.

This exhibition has been made possible by:

Provincie Limburg.

Note for the press:
For more information and visual material, please contact Kris Németh, pressoffice@bonnefanten.nl, +31 (0)6-27364802

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