Permanent  Collection
On January 17 th, 2003, H.M. Queen Beatrix officially reopened the Van Abbemuseum, after a period of radical renovation and expansion. With the renovation of the old museum building, which dates from 1936, and its integration into the spectacular new section designed by the Amsterdam architect Abel Cahen, the Van Abbemuseum is visibly responding to the ongoing changes in museum culture, and to the growing expectations of the public.

The Van Abbemuseum is ready for a comeback as one of the leading museums of modern and contemporary art. The exhibition space now covers an area four times as large as it used to be. Besides a revolutionary exhibition programme that highlights all the latest developments in contemporary art, its own internationally renowned collection can now be displayed on a permanent basis.
This collection covers a period of about 100 years. In total the museum now owns roughly 2700 works of art, of which 1000 are works on paper, 700 are paintings and 1000 are sculptures, installations and video works. The collections international reputation is due to the fine quality of the individual works of art, with famous masterpieces from Picasso, Chagall, El Lissitzky, Beuys, and many more