Rooted in Change – the stories behind the collection
What does the DSM art collection look like through the eyes of people from the former mining region? And what stories lie behind the artworks that have now found a new home in Heerlen?
To mark the exhibition Rooted in Change, the magazine Rooted in Change will be published at the end of October - a richly illustrated edition filled with portraits, conversations, and images that show how art connects people and eras.
What began in 1927 with a stained-glass window by Henri Jonas grew into a collection of nearly five hundred works - ranging from Limburg landscape painters to contemporary artists such as Hadassah Emmerich and melanie bonajo. The collection illustrates how, within DSM, art has always been more than decoration: it reflects the world surrounding both the company and the region.
Two pages from Rooted in Change, featuring a stained-glass window by Henri Jonas
In the magazine, former DSM employees, artists, and residents of the mining region share their connection with the collection – about recognition, pride, and change. As curator Catharien Romijn says: “The artworks show that a company is more than numbers and production – it is a participant in the societal dialogue.”
The magazine is published alongside the Rooted in Change exhibition and is available in the museum shop at SCHUNCK Glaspaleis.
For those who are already curious, here are a few previews: stories and images of the people behind the collection. The art may have belonged to DSM, but its significance belongs to Heerlen.