CODART, Dutch and Flemish art in museums worldwide

Art in Situ: What It Means to See Art in Its Original Setting

The 23rd CODART Congress took place in the Netherlands from 29 to 31 May 2022.

In partnership with the Mauritshuis and Museum Gouda, CODART organized three days in which we took a closer look at Dutch art in its original setting and reflected on all the aspects a curator has to consider when working with objects and their supposed original locations. The theme of CODART 23 was “Art in Situ: What It Means to See Art in Its Original Setting”. What do these works tell us about the production of art in the Dutch Republic? Can we define their unique expressiveness in the (hopefully) post-Covid age in which all our experiences seem more ephemeral and ever more focused on digital media?

CODART 23

The Mauritshuis in The Hague was the host institution on Monday. In 2022 the museum celebrates its 200th anniversary. During this festive year the museum presents a comprehensive program filled with exhibitions and special events about which you can read more here. We are delighted to reconvene with our members in The Hague. the city where CODART’s very first congress took place in 1998.

On Tuesday we visited the city of Gouda where a unique exhibition takes place in 2022. To commemorate 750 years of city rights the cartoons of the stained-glass windows of St. John’s Church will be on view in the chapel of Museum Gouda. The altarpieces were moved from the museum to St. John’s Church to be viewed once more in their original environment. In this unique setting we held the Speakers’ Corner part of the congress.

On Monday and Tuesday afternoon, various study visits were organized to study Dutch art in situ as much as possible. On Monday CODART members were given the exclusive opportunity to visit the Oranjezaal in Paleis Huis ten Bosch. Other visits included art in situ in the Royal Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam and the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, as well as the new depot of Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, the Dutch Collection Center and Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden.

On Sunday the newly refurbished Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn was part of an optional program. On Wednesday, participants could opt to travel to the eastern part of the Netherlands and visit various historical houses, including the exclusive Kasteel Biljoen, which is normally closed to the public.

CODART 23 was made possible by: