The Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam could face closure if the Dutch government does not meet a €2.5 million (R51 million) funding shortfall that threatens a planned €104 million (R2 billion) renovation.
A total of €76 million (R1,5 billion) is earmarked for maintenance, replacement and investment; €23 million (R473 million) will go towards sustainability, and €5 million (R102 million) towards improvements.
The museum opened its doors in 1973 and attracted 1,8 million visitors in 2024, making it the second-most-visited museum in Amsterdam, after the Rijksmuseum.
In an interview with ABC News, Director of the museum, Emilie Gordenker, said the downside of having so many visitors was that the building was now in urgent need of maintenance as it no longer met current building regulations.
She said she did not know what would happen to the paintings if the museum were to close. Van Gogh’s family donated the collection of over 500 drawings and 200 paintings to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation.
“In return, the Dutch State committed itself to provide sufficient resources for the construction and maintenance of a new museum where the collection would be permanently preserved and displayed to the public.”
