Gen F – 75 jaar figuratieve kunst
- 16 February till 17 August 2025
- Drents Museum
Several generations of artists will be featured in the exhibition. In a special studio in the Singel Hall, some of the artists will also be working live during the exhibition. Never before has such an extensive retrospective of the figurative art collection been shown in the Drents Museum.
Contemporary realism
The Drents Museum was one of the first museums in the Netherlands to start collecting modern figurative art. This is art that is based on the observation of visible reality, also known as ‘realism’. Leading within the collection is the work of the northern figurative artists, including Matthijs Röling (1943-2024), Wout Muller (1946-2000), Henk Helmantel (1945) and Clary Mastenbroek (1947). From the late 1960s, they opposed the prevailing idea that only abstract work is ‘good art’. In the exhibition Gen F, the art of the northern figurative artists comes together with that of realistic artists from all over the Netherlands, such as Kik Zeiler (1948), Charlotte Schleiffert (1967), Ina van Zyl (1971) and Dion Rosina (1991).
75 years of figurative art
The common thread in the exhibition consists of the different generations of artists. Gen F starts with the precursors of figurative art, who were born before 1940. The exhibition then continues up to the current generation. In Gen F, the museum shows the connections between these generations, making it easy to follow the development from 1950 to the present.
Studio in the hall
A unique part of Gen F is the studio in the hall. A studio will be set up in the middle of the exhibition. At several points during the exhibition period, the museum will invite artists to paint, draw or sculpt in this studio. Among others, artist Tamara Muller will work live in the room. In addition to this studio, there will also be space for visitors to draw in the hall themselves.
- Tamara Muller (1975), Ecstasy, 2022
Publications
The exhibition will be accompanied by the publication Gen F – 75 years of figurative art. The book is being produced in collaboration with Uitgeverij Waanders and will be available in the Museum Shop or via dutchmuseumgiftshop.nl. The long-awaited reference work on Matthijs Röling, which ties in with this exhibition, will also be published at the end of March.
Exhibition texts
All texts in this exhibition are offered in two languages: Dutch and English.
Visit
Discover this exhibition in real life. Buy your tickets for the Drents Museum now.
Most of the museum is easily accessible for people with reduced mobility. Most floors are accessible by elevator and there are wheelchair-accessible toilets. The museum has free wheelchairs, walkers and folding stools for anyone who wants to use them. Unfortunately, part of the monumental section of the museum is less accessible.
Because of the number of wheelchairs and walkers being limited, you can reserve them via +31 (0)592 - 377 773.
More information about the accessibility of the building can be found here.
Supervisors (on presentation of a public transport companion card) and registered assistance and guide dogs are of course very welcome and can enter the museum free of charge.
The Drents Museum always has a number of changing exhibitions and we also have a rich collection of our own. You can visit our own collection in our new collection presentation Labyrinthia.
All current exhibitions and presentations can be found on the exhibitions page.
More and more objects can also be found online. Learn all about your favorite object and discover new treasures!
Registered assistance or guide dogs are welcome in the museum, other pets are not.
Brasserie Pingo can be found in the heart of the old museum section. Pingo's opening hours are the same as the museum, from Tuesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Here you can drink coffee and eat cake, however salads, sandwiches and appetizers are also on the menu.
