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The world-renowned Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam faces the threat of closure unless the Dutch government steps in to fund crucial repairs to its ageing building, its director has warned.
Since opening its doors in 1973, the institution has welcomed nearly 57 million visitors, drawn by its priceless collection of works by Vincent van Gogh.
Among its celebrated masterpieces are one of his iconic ‘Sunflowers’ paintings, ‘Almond Blossom’, ‘The Potato Eaters’, and a vibrant depiction of his bedroom in Arles.
However, Director Emilie Gordenker revealed on Thursday that the original, state-owned building is in such a dilapidated state that extensive and urgent maintenance is required to ensure the safety of both its invaluable collection and its visitors.
“If we don’t address the major maintenance that needs to happen, we will have to close,” she told The Associated Press, following initial reports of her concerns in The New York Times.
The 50-year-old structure is in dire need of “major maintenance,” with discussions spanning two years failing to resolve a dispute over how to finance the estimated €104 million ($121 million) repairs.
open image in gallery
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam celebrates one of the world’s most renowned artists (Associated Press)
These works are projected to commence in 2028 and last for three years. Ms Gordenker stressed the escalating urgency, stating: “It’s now getting very urgent.”
She said that during the renovation, the museum would be partly closed and would therefore earn less from ticket sales. “The only thing we’re asking them to do is to help us finance the basic maintenance,” she said.
The nearby Rijksmuseum shut down for years for a large-scale renovation, but Gordenker says that kind of major facelift is not what the Van Gogh Museum is appealing for.
Among other things, urgent repairs are needed for air conditioning, elevators, even the sewage system.
“It’s not the fun, sexy, let’s build a new wing stuff,” she said.
In a written reaction, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science said that the museum receives an annual subsidy “sufficient to carry out the necessary maintenance. This position is based on extensive expert research commissioned by the Ministry.”
open image in gallery
Since its opening in 1973, nearly 57 million visitors have passed through the Van Gogh Museum to gaze at iconic works
It said the museum objected to the subsidy decision last year and recently filed an appeal in a Dutch court that will be heard in February next year. “It is not unusual for parties to have a subsidy decision reviewed by the court,” the ministry added.
The dispute has its origins in a decision by Van Gogh’s family to transfer a trove of his art — more than 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 900 letters along with works by contemporaries such as Paul Gauguin — to a foundation set up in 1962 to keep the collection together.
In return, the government pledged to build and maintain a museum where the works could be displayed, the museum said in a statement.
Gordenker argues that means the government should also help to fund the work the museum now needs.