Exhibition: DSM Art Collection
In 2024, dsm-firmenich donated the core of its art collection to the municipality of Heerlen. This collection, one of the oldest corporate collections in the Netherlands, enriches SCHUNCK’s municipal art collection with work by regional, national and international artists.
Where
SCHUNCK Glaspaleis
From autumn 2025, the DSM art collection will be shown for the first time in an overview exhibition spread across SCHUNCK Museum, the Nederlands Mijnmuseum, the town hall and other locations in Heerlen. The exhibition also includes the community with favourites chosen by residents of the Mining Region.
The history of the DSM art collection reflects DSM’s transition from a state-owned company to a global player, with a focus on innovation and sustainability. Parallel to the SCHUNCK collection, the DSM art collection forms a stepping stone for visual arts talent from home and abroad. The combination of the stories from both collections provides several starting points to further unlock the story of the former Mining Region and of the former corporate collection for the future, in collaboration with various partners. The exhibition will, for instance, shed light on the underexposed and largely unknown chapter of DSM in Indonesia. For this exhibition, we will work together with Heerlen artist Jop Vermeesch, whose family story takes us to the Ombillin mine, and visual artist Lara Gasparotto from Liège. This will also bring a fresh perspective on DSM, its collection and its relationship with the community, which extends far beyond the former Mining Region.
The DSM art collection includes works by: Frank Ammerlaan, David Bade, Harrie Bartels, Jeroen van Bergen, Rob Birza, Laurens Bisscheroux, melanie bonajo, Tom Claassen, David Czupryn, Pieter Defesche, Sander van Deurzen, Paul Drissen, Hadassah Emmerich, Ruud van Empel, Maarten van den Eynde, Charles Eyck, Itamar Gilbao, Vera Gulikers, Aad de Haas, Jacqueline Hassink, Heringa/Van Kalsbeek, Teun Hocks, Duan Jiangyu, Kaspar de Jong, Claudy Jongstra, Sidi el Karchi, Fransje Killaars, Harry Koolen, Charlotte Lagro, Ger Lataster, Chaim van Luit, Keetje Mans, Jan van Munster, Lucy & Jorge Orta, Stefan Peters, Jacques Reubsaet, Tanja Ritterbex, Donya Saed, Vivianne Sassen, Berndnaut Smilde, Marijke Stultiens, Aline Thomassen, Hans Truijen, Helen Verhoeven, Bas de Wit and many others.
This activity is part of the Year of Heerlen's Heritage. In 2025, numerous activities and events will be organized in Heerlen to make its heritage visible or tangible once again.