ROTTERDAM.- Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen presents The stories we tell, a new exhibition in the Depot, opening on April 19th, 2025. This exhibition features large-scale contemporary artworks from the museum’s collection that offer various interpretations and perspectives on history.

Curated by Amira Gad, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art—who joined the museum in 2024—the exhibition includes works by artists Anselm Kiefer, Anne Wenzel, Mike Kelley, and Susanna Inglada, amongst others. Through their work, stories are unravelled that help us navigate the past, reflect on the present, and imagine possible futures. The exhibition explores how history is not fixed, but one that is dynamic, and continually being rewritten.

A renewed look on history?

The artists in this exhibition offer diverse perspectives on society, crafting narratives about the human condition that expose its complexities, contradictions, and possibilities. They unravel hidden structures and challenge us to rethink what we often take for granted. Through their work, we are invited to see art beyond its reflective capacity of the world we live in, but as a space where we can actively participate in its transformation. 

Works not seen for a long time

The stories we tell features a new sound commission by Rotterdam-based DJ and music selector DJ Ays (Aysia Ahmed) created a special mixtape for the exhibition. As a DJ, she often blends genres from disco and house to jazz and funk. And her piece, The Mind’s Narrative, offers a musical interpretation of each artwork in the exhibition.

Also on display are recent acquisitions by the museum that have not been presented yet. Among them is House of Fools (Witte) by German artist Anne Wenzel, acquired in 2023 with the support of young professionals and art enthusiasts via @Boijmans. The sculpture, a bust of General Witte Corneliszoon de With, presented on an unstable pedestal and appearing damaged, serves as a response to public monuments honouring controversial figures from our colonial history.

In 2024, the museum also acquired The City, a large-scale collage-drawing by Spanish artist Susanna Inglada, with support from the Mondriaan Fund. The work reflects Inglada’s perspective on women’s emancipation, power struggles, and the reversal of traditional gender roles.

Alongside these new additions, visitors can (re-)discover works that have not been on view since the museum’s historical building closed for renovation in 2019. One such piece is the monumental 4.5M Mrs Gate by British artist Paul Noble. The sculpture explores the human imprint on the landscape through the structure of fences, while also referencing organic and natural forms.

Featured Artists

The featured artists in The stories we tell are: Alex Israel, Anselm Kiefer, Andro Wekua, Anne Wenzel, Cady Noland, David Claerbout, Duane Hanson, George Segal, Kara Walker, Mike Kelley, Paul Noble, Susanna Inglada, Suchan Kinoshita and Tal R.

The stories we tell will be on view on the fifth floor of the Depot of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen—the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility. The exhibition is the launch of a new artistic programme within the Depot: two exhibitions will be presented here annually, ranging from contemporary art to old masters and design. Since its opening in 2021, the Depot has offered visitors a unique behind-the-scenes look at a museum’s operations. With these exhibitions presented on the fifth floor, visitors will be able to be re-acquainted with the museum’s collection in new and meaningful ways.

The stories we tell will be on view until October 26th, 2025.