Author: Maarten Jeukens

The Cobra Museum of Modern Art in Amstelveen is pleased to announce that Marius Touwen is willing to provide a credit facility. Touwen is a major shareholder of Serra Holding and the Red Cross Hospital Beverwijk, as well as a passionate art lover and collector. This development rescues the museum from its acute financial crisis and allows it to engage in a new dialogue with the municipality of Amstelveen. There is now more time and space to develop a structural solution for the museum’s long-term survival, with careful consideration of various future scenarios for their attractiveness and feasibility. This offers hope for the preservation of a museum of modern art in Amstelveen.

The Cobra Museum, a leading institution dedicated to the Cobra art movement and modern art in general, has faced financial challenges in recent years. The current economic conditions and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have increased financial pressure on all cultural institutions, including the Cobra Museum. The unique balance between a low municipal contribution (40%) and a high dependence on self-generated income from visitors and sponsors (60%) has come under strain. Last week, the city council proposed closing the museum. It doesn’t have to come to that now.

This commitment serves as a lifeline for the museum, stabilizing its finances in the short term. This enables the museum and the municipality of Amstelveen to develop a sustainable and viable strategy for the future.

This contribution is a testament to incredible support for the Cobra Museum and its management in the interest of art and culture in our community, said Stefan van Raay, director of the Cobra Museum. We are deeply grateful for Marius Touwen’s involvement, which secures the museum’s existence and allows us to work with renewed determination for the long term.

The Cobra Museum remains open!
30 November 2023

We are relieved and together, we are putting our shoulders to the wheel to create a beautiful future for the museum. We are very grateful for the thousands of signatures that have been placed under the petition Houd het Cobra Museum open! This support has not gone unnoticed in the council chamber of the municipality of Amstelveen.

We would love to see you in the museum! On Friday, December 22, a beautiful exhibition featuring more than 200 photos by photographer, filmmaker, and graphic designer Anton Corbijn will open.

Covenant for 1 year
24 November 2023

After a rigorous process involving intensive discussions, the the board of mayor and aldermen (college van b en w) and the Cobra Museum have agreed to facilitate a restart of the museum, but with clear conditions. The museum is given one year for this process. To facilitate this, the museum will receive a financial contribution of €1.4 million for one year. These new agreements prevent the museum from facing bankruptcy. The terms will be documented in a covenant.

In a proposal to the council, the board of mayor and aldermen (college van b en w) requests the council’s approval for the implementation of the covenant, the rejection of the Cobra Museum’s multi-year subsidy application, and the allocation of a one-time financial contribution equivalent to the current subsidy.

Art lover stands up for the Cobra Museum
11 September 2023

Today, it has been announced that a wealthy art enthusiast is willing to assist the museum. Read the full announcement here.

Keep supporting us and Sign the (Dutch) Petition to Keep the Cobra Museum Open!

Future of Cobra Museum in Jeopardy due to Amstelveen City Council Decision
Museum Appeals to City Council
5 September 2023

On September 5th, the board of mayor and aldermen (college van b en w) decided not to provide a guarantee for the museum. This means that the Cobra Museum cannot meet the conditions for a bridging loan from its bank. This puts the continuity of the museum in Amstelveen in jeopardy. Over the past 27 years, the museum has been dedicated to making art and culture accessible to the Amstelveen community. Given this situation, the Cobra Museum urgently appeals to the City Council and the board of mayor and aldermen to continue working together to find a solution to ensure the museum’s survival and its contribution to Amstelveen.

“We are deeply disappointed by this decision. Our hope now rests with the City Council. Wednesday evening, during the public council discussion, we will have the opportunity to speak, and we will let supporters, including Jeroen Krabbé, voice their opinions. This discussion is crucial to convince the council to keep the museum open.” – Stefan van Raay, Director

In 2023, the museum celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Cobra movement. The Cobra Museum marks this anniversary year with appropriate programming. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Cobra Museum has drawn on its reserves. For this temporary financial constraint, the museum found a solution through a credit facility with a regular bank. This naturally requires a credit guarantee from the city of Amstelveen. With these measures, the museum remains preserved for Amstelveen in the long term. However, the City Council (B&W) has decided not to guarantee the museum, putting the Cobra Museum in immediate financial hardship.

The decision by the board of mayor and aldermen (college van b en w) pains us deeply. In recent times, the Cobra Museum has been in regular discussions with the city regarding the museum’s programming and financing. Together, we have worked hard to make the museum more accessible to the Amstelveen community. This includes initiatives like the Cobra Academy for Amstelveen youth (aged 17-25) and the Cobra Children’s Museum. Additionally, as of this year, access to the museum on Wednesdays is free for all Amstelveen residents. In light of these efforts, the City Council’s decision weighs even heavier on us.

The Cobra Museum recognizes that additional steps must be taken to ensure long-term financial stability. Therefore, we remain open to discussions with the city.

Your support makes all the difference! We greatly appreciate your contribution.
All help is welcome, and your donation will assist us in keeping the Cobra Museum open. You can make a single donation (anonymously)? Via the QR code you can transfer your chosen donation to us. Or click here.

Economic Importance of the Cobra Museum for Amstelveen
The Cobra Museum’s budget relies on 60% of its own income from visitors and contributions from the Friends Lottery, Cobra Business Club, and Cobra Founders. The municipal contribution is 40%. The national context of similar museums in other municipalities shows the opposite ratio.
Research from 2021 and 2022 indicates that the Cobra Museum generates a significant economic boost for Amstelveen. With an average of 32% of visitors from Amstelveen and the surrounding area and 66% from the rest of the Netherlands, we can confirm that the museum generated a net contribution of €3.8 million in 2021 and €1.5 million in 2022 for the economy of Amstelveen. Therefore, the municipal subsidy is a healthy investment in the local economy and national reputation of Amstelveen.

Vision and Long Term Policy 2024-2027: Cobra and Amstelveen Connected
The multi-year policy plan for 2024-2027 presents a clear vision. The ideology of the movement remains central: spontaneity, experimentation, courage, autodidacticism, child, and world art at an international level. A diverse cultural program for the residents of the municipality of Amstelveen remains important as always. Since this year, access to the museum on Wednesdays is free for all Amstelveen residents. But consider, for example, the organization of Neighbor Day, exhibitions by artists from Amstelveen, and “Art with a Cookie” for lonely seniors. Or the continuation of the Cobra Academy for Amstelveen youth (aged 17-25) and the Cobra Children’s Museum. In addition, we regularly collaborate with local cultural institutions and businesses, such as DAY Foodbar and Kragtwijk, the Amstelveen Business Association, and our own Cobra Business Club.

The Cobra Museum and the city of Amstelveen share a common passion for art and culture. With an open mind, mutual understanding, and creativity, we hope to continue working together with the City Council. Amstelveen and the Cobra Museum belong together.

During the summer holiday, you will receive a voucher for your surcharge of 10 euros. You can spend this voucher in the museum shop or café. We want to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Cobra movement and offer you an extra treat to enrich your museum experience.

This summer promotion runs from 1 July until 3 September 2023. The voucher is not exchangeable for cash and can only be used once.

The museum is temporarily closed due to the installment of  three new exhibitions. On 2 June, the museum will reopen its doors. Full of new art and unique stories.

Freedom without Borders. From Appel to Basquiat
This exhibition is the highlight of the anniversary year in which we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the international Cobra movement (1948 – 1951)! A must-see for anyone interested in modern art and a unique opportunity to see these revolutionary and inspiring works up close.

The other Picasso. Back to the origin
The year 2023 also marks the 50th anniversary of the death of one of the most famous artists of the 20th century and this will be widely commemorated in France and Spain. The Cobra Museum is also dedicating a special exhibition to Picasso.

All children are artists
Jeroen Krabbé and Annefie van Itterzon present children’s drawings at the Cobra Museum. This exhibition fits seamlessly into our programme of summer exhibitions: Freedom without Borders and The Other Picasso, which are on show at the Cobra Museum at the same time.

Look ahead with us to the anniversary year of the Cobra movement. We will celebrate this anniversary with a special programme of exhibitions and activities. Read all about it in the new Cobra Magazine. Available free of charge at the museum.

The Cobra Museum of Modern Art in Amstelveen celebrates 75 years of Cobra (1948-1951) with an extensive programme in 2023 featuring many international loans. The museum’s programming is based on the ideas of the Cobra movement and focuses on experimentation, free thinking and polyphony.

We Kiss the Earth
Danish modern art 1934-1948
Exhibition
27 January – 14 May 2023 

The anniversary year of Cobra 75 kicks off with a triptych of Danish modern art. The Danish artists who founded Cobra in 1948 had a great influence on the much younger Dutch and Belgian Cobra members. Developments in Danish modern art from the 1930s and 1940s take centre stage with themes such as sexual freedom, politics, provocation, experimentation and spontaneity. These developments would later have such a profound influence on Cobra. This is the first large survey outside Denmark that presents around 100 masterpieces by more than 25 artists. 

Je est un autre
Ernest Mancoba & Sonja Ferlov
Exhibition
27 January – 14 May 2023 

A presentation on the artist couple Sonja Ferlov (Denmark) and Ernest Mancoba (South Africa) complements this retrospective. Both were involved in founding the Cobra movement in Denmark. Their interracial relationship was unique at the time. They each had their own international artistic practice. In 2019, Centre Pompidou presented two major retrospectives of their oeuvre; a selection will be exhibited in Amstelveen. 

Becoming Ovartaci
Exhibition
27 January – 14 May 2023 

Ovartaci’s intriguing work forms the final part of the Danish triptych. Ovartaci – born Louis Marcussen – spent most of her life in a psychiatric hospital. Transformation is the central theme in her life and work. The exhibition of paintings, drawings and sculptures is an ode to the imagination and inspiration of this Danish artist who died in 1985 at the age of 91. 

Freedom without Borders
From Appel to Picasso
Exhibition
2 June – 8 October 2023 

In 2023, the Cobra Museum in Amstelveen will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the international Cobra movement (1948 – 1951) by bringing together the work of Appel, Constant, Corneille and Jorn with that of Picasso, Beckmann, Basquiat, Munch and contemporary artists such as Jonathan Meese and Cecily Brown. 

It shows the universal character of Cobra and its close kinship with the free, expressive working methods of artists throughout the years. With around 150 paintings, sculptures, works on paper, photographs and ceramics, the public is invited to compare the work of a large number of Cobra artists and find connections with related earlier, contemporaneous or later artists.   

The Other Picasso
Back to the Origin
Exhibition
2 June – 17 September 2023 

The year 2023 also marks the 50th anniversary of the death of one of the most famous artists of the 20th century and this will be widely commemorated in France and Spain. The Cobra Museum is also dedicating a special exhibition to Picasso. In his career, Picasso always returned to his childhood and his cultural background, in which dance and theatre played a major role. Moreover, he was a source of inspiration for many Cobra artists. “Every child is an artist” is one of his most famous statements. This careful selection of drawings, ceramics and etchings shows the hand of the master who was never afraid to experiment. 

Special thanks to
The anniversary programme Cobra 75 was made possible by our partners and generous donors. We would particularly like to thank the City of Amstelveen, VriendenLoterij, Trebbe, BPD, Rabobank and the Cobra Business Club.