Faith

Faith – Treasures from the Rijksmuseum through today’s eyes

What are your rituals? Who can you forgive? What brings you peace of mind? Whether you are religious or an atheist, everyone believes in something. Faith explores what gives people a sense of stability in a world that is constantly changing. Discover 35 masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum’s collection and explore the theme through the eyes of six guest curators, with each of them drawing on their own experiences and beliefs to show what faith means to them. Six guest curators each offer their own personal perspective on faith, including three guest curators from Limburg who enrich the exhibition with unique stories and perspectives from the region.

From Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli and the 17th-century artist David Vinckboons to the modern art of Charles Eyck and Karel Appel: in Faith, you will discover art from different movements and centuries. The artworks are accompanied by personal stories and surprising perspectives on faith, rituals and the search for meaning. Discover how art from different eras invites us to reflect on what unites us and where we draw our strength from.

Own perspectives and themes

Some works of art depict religious stories, such as the ‘prodigal son’ celebrating in a painting by Frans Francken, but for many of the objects in the exhibition, this is not the case. Arnon, Naema and Stephan were allowed to browse the Rijksmuseum’s vast collection to their heart’s content and made some surprising choices. The themes are always familiar: belonging and coming home, goodness and beauty, guilt and redemption.

Six personal perspectives

Discover three personal perspectives on faith through works of art from the Rijksmuseum’s collection. Guest curators Stephan Sanders, Arnon Grunberg and Naema Tahir each show, from their own perspectives, what faith means to them. This is not just about religion, but also about the different ways in which people find meaning, stability and connection in their lives.

In the exhibition, you will also discover three Limburg perspectives on faith. In Kinds geloof (Childish beliefs), theatre maker and author Abbie Chalgoum explores the open-minded perspective of children. In Volksgeloof (Popular beliefs), artist and author Joep Vossebeld shows how rituals, symbols and superstitions remain part of everyday life. In Ongeloof(lijk!) (Unbelief/unbelievable!), the artist duo Marta & Slava explore the search for meaning in an age in which old certainties are becoming less and less self-evident.

A personal perspective on faith

In Faith, the six personal perspectives come together. Experience masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum’s collection alongside exceptional works from the Limburgs Museum’s collection and loans that tie in with the stories told by the guest curators from Limburg. Discover how world-famous art, stories from Limburg and different perspectives on faith come together to invite you to reflect on what gives people a sense of stability. What does faith mean to you?

Faith, Hope and Love

The Faith exhibition is the first instalment in the Faith, Hope and Love trilogy, a series of travelling exhibitions organised by six collaborating Dutch museums (the M6) and made possible by the Rijksmuseum. The VriendenLoterij is the main sponsor of the trilogy; the Faith exhibition is supported by the Mondriaan Fund.