As the international network of museum curators of Dutch and Flemish art, CODART stands for cooperation, open international exchange and sharing of knowledge. We strongly condemn the invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. We believe that truth and justice will prevail and we want to express our deepest sympathies to all those who are affected by the atrocities of this war.

CODART supports ICOM’s statement concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and shares the concern about the risks faced by museum professionals as well as the threats to cultural heritage as a result of this conflict. We want to repeat and stress ICOM’s expectation that both countries, as States Parties of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of armed conflict and its First Protocol, will abide by their international legal obligations to protect heritage.

CODART has no financial ties with Russian institutions and will not engage in any such ties in the foreseeable future. In addition, CODART will not seek further cooperation with Russian cultural institutions. However, we do have long-standing personal relations with our members in the Russian Federation. As we believe that art, cultural dialogue and mutual respect will eventually prevail over war, we will try our best to save the valued relationships we have built up over the years. This statement is in accordance with the principles articulated in a letter from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to the House of Representatives on 9 March 2022. This letter (in Dutch) can be found here.