Enschede

Enschede breathes creativity: from artists to unconventional creative initiatives. The city has proven to be a free space for experimentation, offering room for new art forms and artist-led initiatives. How did such a fertile breeding ground for art emerge here, of all places? Is it due to the city’s DNA, its location outside the Randstad, or perhaps a unique combination of circumstances? And what role did Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the Academy of Art and Industry (AKI) play in this development?

Unrestrained and open to experimentation
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Twente is barely visible on the cultural map. But industrialisation, which places the region firmly on the economic map, also triggers something else: a growing interest in art and culture. What begins with the Oudheidkamer Twente develops into a desire to give art a full-fledged place in the region. The opening of Rijksmuseum Twenthe in 1930 becomes a crucial moment in this story.

After the war, artists in Twente seek to connect with the spirit of the times. They want to work in modern ways, to experiment, to find new forms. In the same period, the AKI art academy is founded. AKI would grow into a distinctive and progressive institution where artists with courage and imagination pushed the boundaries of art. Together, these developments create a climate in which art can flourish. Twente becomes a region where modern art is not only embraced, but gains its own character: unrestrained and open to experimentation.

The distance from the Randstad, often seen as a disadvantage, also proves to be an opportunity. Precisely this space, both literal and figurative, allows for free thinking and experimentation. Unbound by the established order, an art world emerges in which imagination and individuality are central.

Works from our own collection
Using works from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe collection, the exhibition traces artistic developments from the Second World War to the present. Through a range of artworks, the story of Enschede as a city of art is told in relation to historical events.

Artists
The exhibition features works by Ben Akkerman, Marlies Appel, Klaas Bernink, Wim te Broek, Jan Broeze, Harry Brusche, Jan Cremer, De Enschedse School, Sandra Derks, Marlene Dumas, Jan Dietvorst, Hans Ebeling Koning, Ernie & Bidet, Alphons Freijmuth, Rose-Marie Gerritsen, Joris Geurts, Kees de Goede, Kees de Groot, Folkert Haanstra Jr., Folkert Haanstra Sr., Johan Haanstra, Riemko Holtrop, Pieter Holstein, Sipke Huismans, Wim Izaks, Arno Kramer, Reinier Lucassen, Kees Maas, Karel Meijers, Frans Oosterhof, Jan van de Pavert, Pearl Perlmutter, Uwe Poth, Inge Reisberman, Ria Rettich, Jan Roeland, Paul Silder, Roland Sips, Bill Spinhoven, Rik Timmers, Paul Tornado, Klaus Versteegen, Johan Visser, Dingenus van de Vrie, Eef de Weerd, Geert de Wilde, Willem Wisselink, Theo Wolvecamp, Ans Wortel.