Eroticism

Discover the tension

Between concealment and exposure, desire and seduction, and intimacy and reflection. Eroticism, after all, is more than just beauty, shame, excitement or sex. The theme embodies love and lust, but it also encompasses any taboos that may accompany them.

In this exhibition, we take you through the changing view of erotica over the years, from the late Middle Ages and the sexual revolution of the 1960s to the present day, where prudeness and sexualisation exist alongside each other.

We have on display surprising pieces from Limburg collections and national and international works by leading artists. The objects offer room for the viewer’s own interpretation, meaning and association. After all, for a theme as universal as this, countless perspectives can be unleashed.

Stories from Limburg

In Eroticism – Beyond Beauty and Shame, watch and listen to stories with diverse perspectives. In an engaging audio tour (only in Dutch), director, presenter and theatre producer Lucas De Man discusses his personal experience of eroticism. He does so with Marloes IJpelaar (artistic director of Club Lam), Marita Mathijsen (professor of modern Dutch literature at the University of Amsterdam) and Edwin Becker (guest curator of this exhibition and chief curator at the Van Gogh Museum).

We also challenge you to share your own experiences. Together, we can shed new light on an already broad theme.

Concept: Edwin Becker and Laura Adams
Guest curator: Edwin Becker
Exhibition design: Peter de Kimpe
Audio tour: Lucas De Man

Image in header: Miles Aldridge, ‘Immaculée’, Alex Daniels collection, courtesy Reflex Amsterdam.