Living With Art

For over forty years, Pieter and Marieke Sanders avidly collected the work of relatively young, as well as more renowned artists from the Netherlands and overseas. Their collection includes paintings, works on paper, sculptures, installations, photography, videos, and artists’ books. The emphasis lies on innovative and conceptual work. In recent years, the Sanderses have been following in particular new developments in the field of new media, video art and post-internet art. Thanks to their foresighted, astute acquisitions, they have amassed a collection that spans three generations of internationally renowned artists. The Sanderses are loyal gallery visitors and their collection offers a fascinating glimpse into Amsterdam’s dynamic gallery scene.

Although the collection as a whole is very diverse, a number of important themes can be distinguished. There are for example a great many pieces that explore man’s unconscious desires and emotions, or the interaction between nature and culture. A recurring theme in many of the photo based works, which span a large part of the collection, is the representation of reality. These works are balancing between reality, manipulation, and staging. The Sanderses have a great interest in works in which the artist experimented with unorthodox techniques, forms, and materials. Also, they often fall for works with a certain absurd undertone.

A large part of the collection has been donated to various museums. A selection is displayed in Marieke's house in Bloemendaal. New acquisitions are hung temporarily in the small building at the Bakenessergracht in Haarlem. The Sanderses lend works of art from their collection upon request to qualified institutions, in the Netherlands and abroad. The collection is not public. The collection is managed by their son Pieter Sanders jr.