The people behind the museum #3. Zippora Elders

What is their background? What does art mean to them? And what fascinates them? In this section you will meet the staff of the Van Abbemuseum. Third in the series is Zippora Elders' turn. As senior curator, she has strengthened the artistic team since 1 October 2024.

Gropius Bau in Berlin, Kunstfort near Vijfhuizen, Sonsbeek 20-24, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Foam and Foam Magazine: over the past 15 years, Zippora Elders has worked on many exhibitions and making various institutions accessible. She puts her international experience, both within artistic and managerial roles, to use as senior curator at the Van Abbemuseum since 1 October 2024: ‘from constituent museum to demodernising the collection; for decades, the Van Abbemuseum has been pioneering content. A frontrunner within the arts. It's an honour to be able to contribute to that now.’

First time Van Abbe

‘I grew up in a creative family in Nijmegen, not far from here. In my youth, I often visited Museum Arnhem, yet ‘far’ museum visits were not a given. That only came when I was at university. It was 2004 and my very first excursion was to Eindhoven, to the Van Abbemuseum. I remember it well. I saw installations by Joseph Buys and Vladimir Tatlin, among others, and was fascinated: how did they put these ideas and materials together? Why did they shape it this way? And how did it then get here and was presented in this way? Art triggered a lot in me.’

Touching

‘And it still does. When I walk through the halls of artworks at the Van Abbemuseum, I feel admiration. For today's colleagues and those who came before us: the artists, the curators, the mediators, the hosts, everyone. A museum comes about through a relational whole of people, stories, materials and techniques through various times, disciplines and regions. You step into something larger than yourself but of which you are nonetheless a part. A whole that brings together different streams of creative energy. That can really touch me.’

Open source

‘Since 2019, I have been living in Berlin as well as in the Netherlands. I see Eindhoven as a very international environment with a responsible position in the region, just like the Van Abbemuseum. Both also enjoy renown in the art and design field worldwide. In that respect, my move to the Van Abbemuseum is a continuation of my international path rooted in the Netherlands. It is crucial for me to appeal to local audiences with the museum and to keep the line of communication with the world open. Especially now.’

Core value

‘I was trained as an art historian and museum curator. Studies that I complemented with public administration and philosophy. This combination of fields was a logical one for me. I see art as a core value of our society. But to work with that art field, you need to understand how that society is organised; how public administration works. As a public museum, you have to be closely connected to what is going on in the city and society. These are violent and inward-looking times worldwide. It is up to us to guard the open imagination.’

Total presentation

‘I want to express that vision and imagination of artists in the exhibitions I will create at the Van Abbemuseum. It is incredibly fascinating to see with the eyes of artists, to stand side by side, to build together. I hope to positively overwhelm visitors with art and stories that impress and open multiple points of view. Liveliness, imagination, engagement, physicality, performance and maybe even some noise: I love to activate a building and make people wonder. To involve the holes, nooks and crannies in an overall presentation, both inside and outside.’

Collection

‘Besides making exhibitions, as senior curator I also deal with researching, expanding and opening up the museum's collection. The Van Abbemuseum has a stellar collection. A collection that has been built up very meticulously, very sincerely. The acquisitions are based on a common interest: what is the Dutch collection? And what is our place in history and on earth? As an art lover, that really is coming home.’

Zippora's favourites

Favourite work in the collection

‘Eindhoven-based artist René Daniels has a special place in my heart. On one of my first days at the Van Abbemuseum, I stood in front of Painting on the Bullfight (1985), from his Beautiful Exhibitions series, for a long time in the depot.’

Favourite work in the collection presentation

‘I think Laure Prouvost is a very special artist with a great imagination and a lot of energy. In the tapestry This Means Tableau (2019), on display in Cross Links, she connects words to images that do not belong together in our language system in terms of meaning, such as a cactus and a toothbrush.’

Favourite Van Abbemuseum exhibition

‘Not seen it myself, but very well known and special is General Idea (1985). This exhibition was organised in collaboration with Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland and the National Gallery of Ontario in Canada, where the General Idea collective originated. I also collaborated with the latter for the recent General Idea exhibition in 2023 at Gropius Bau.’

Favourite place in the museum

‘The library. You can sit there (lie down!) and look out on the river the Dommel. Besides, the staff know a lot.’

Tip: emerging artist

‘Then I think of Xavier Robles de Medina. He is from Paramaribo, studied in London and has a fascination for popular culture and political history. Xavier works with great concentration and individuality.’

Tip: museum you must have visited

‘Gropius Bau, my previous workplace. It is an imposing building with an eventful history and often full rooms. Hopefully much of what I initiated with my team to make it an open and welcoming institution still resonates. It became a place where art is truly present, where diverse communities and generations were welcomed, you feel the artist.’