In the exhibition MIX & MATCH, the archives and collection of the Draiflessen Collection come together in four themed rooms spanning different eras and media. Presented in the study hall and DAS Forum, the double exhibition offers a multifaceted insight into the Draiflessen Collection’s cosmos. Under the leitmotif of the four basic elements earth, fire, air, and water, objects from different times, contexts, and media are placed in relation to one another—from Rembrandt to Gerhard Richter to Paco Rabanne.

The exhibition features almost 100 objects from the Liberna Collection and the Tuliba Collection, including many highlights from the holdings of Dutch and Flemish art. These include prints by artists such as Lucas van Leyden, Hendrick Goltzius, and Rembrandt van Rijn, as well as drawings by, among others, Abraham Bloemaert, Jacob Jordaens, and Ferdinand Bol. The selection of artworks from the Low Countries also includes fifteenth- and sixteenth-century manuscripts, printed books, and paintings.

Diversity of collections in dialogue

The exhibition invites visitors to rediscover the collections and make unexpected connections between exhibits and eras. Prints and book art meet photographs, film and advertising material from the history of C&A and the Brenninkmeijer family of entrepreneurs. Iconic fashion pieces enter into dialogue with contemporary art and archival documents. The four elements not only structure the tour, but also sharpen the eye for materials, motifs, and overarching themes.

The four elements as a principle of order

The idea of explaining the world with the help of the four basic elements dates back to ancient Greece and continues to influence science, art, and culture to this day. MIX & MATCH takes up this pattern of thought as a curatorial principle and uses it as an associative system of order that opens up new perspectives on the objects. For example, Rembrandt, the most famous artist of seventeenth-century Netherlands, The Mamas and Papas, an American folk rock band of the 1960s, and the yellow advertising character of the C&A sniffer dog are brought together in a shared exhibition context.