Rooted in Change: DSM art collection on public display in Heerlen for the first time

The DSM Collection comprises nearly five hundred works, ranging from paintings and drawings to sculptures and installations. Rooted in Change: DSM art collection from boardroom to museum presents a selection of 200 works: from Limburg masters such as Ger Lataster, Jef Diederen, and Harry Koolen to contemporary makers like Hadassah Emmerich, Chaim van Luit, and melanie bonajo. Together, they highlight the breadth and depth of a collection that was embedded for almost a century in the corporate culture of the former DSM — now dsm-firmenich — and is now finding its way to a wider audience.

The exhibition will be hosted in the iconic Glaspaleis in Heerlen, with additional works on view at the Dutch Mining Museum and the Heerlen Town Hall. Within Rooted in Change, a special place is given to the Kolensporen project, in which artist Jop Vermeesch and photographer Lara Gasparotto explore the ties between the Limburg mining region, Liège, and Indonesia. This brings the international character of the mining past to life.

Reflections on the collection

Fabian de Kloe, Artistic Director at SCHUNCK, sees the transfer as an opportunity to connect generations: “The DSM Collection is deeply rooted in the mining region, but it also tells an international story. Limburg artists stand alongside names exploring themes such as migration, sustainability, and identity. It is an anthology that not only reflects on the past but also points toward the future.”

Catharien Romijn, curator of the collection at dsm-firmenich, recalls how the works sparked conversations within the company: “The artworks were never meant as decoration; they were intended to provoke. Employees would discuss them at the coffee machine. That in itself showed how art can challenge and set change in motion.”

With this donation, not only has a collection been preserved, but a living legacy has been created. SCHUNCK sees it as its mission to make the works widely accessible: within the museum, but also through loans to regional partners. In this way, the donation grows into a shared possession that inspires, confronts, and connects.

Practical information

Rooted in Change will be on view from 28 October 2025 at SCHUNCK Museum, the Dutch Mining Museum, and Heerlen Town Hall. The exhibition is part of the Year of Heritage in Heerlen. A magazine accompanying the exhibition collects personal stories and choices of local residents and those involved.

Cultural project developer Raenys Martis says: “The State Mines were the roots – but even if you cut down the tree, the roots remain. This collection shows that the region has always been a breeding ground for innovation and cultural richness. For me, it’s a mirror of the region, in all its complexity and contradictions.”

Irene Borghans, who grew up in the mining region, adds: “My grandfather worked in the mines, my father worked there, and I feel I did too. That the collection stays in Heerlen feels natural. It’s something of ours – a complement to the history that is visible everywhere in this city.”