Museum Beelden aan Zee

A subterranean marvel built into a beachfront dune, the Museum Beelden aan Zee is the only Dutch museum dedicated entirely to sculpture. Founded in 1994 by the collectors Theo and Lida Scholten, this private institution holds an enviable collection of modern and contemporary international sculpture, with an emphasis on post-war works, totalling more than 5,000 statues. True to the medium’s historical roots, a strong focus on the figure resounds, with examples by Andreu Alfaro, Zadok Ben-David, Fernando Botero, Charlotte van Pallandt and Jaume Plensa. These are displayed within the museum’s captivating shell-shaped layout, where halls and terraces are flooded with natural light from its ample skylights. Approximately 12 exhibitions each year highlight the diversity of modern sculpture, with past presentations focusing on Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Narges Mohammadi and Elmar Trenkwalder, among others. Freely accessible to the public, “Fairytale Sculptures by the Sea” installs more than 20 works of art by the American artist Tom Otterness outside the museum, including depictions of Hansel and Gretel, Moby Dick, Gulliver and Herring Eater, especially created for children.

_{Photo: Wikimedia Commons}