A distinctive player in the world of culture

The VBCN is an independent, non-profit knowledge network for Dutch companies and public and semi-public institutions with a policy of building art collections. Its members bring a large and diverse audience in contact with art and forge new connections between art and society. This makes the VBCN a distinctive player in the world of culture.

Mission

The VBCN encourages artistic activities, and helps companies and public and semi-public institutions to develop the best possible policy for building their collections. The association initiates debate and research. It provides a forum where members can share expertise and work together to enhance the visibility and dynamism of their holdings. In this way the VBCN increases its members' expertise and contributes to a vibrant artistic and cultural climate in the Netherlands.

Thanks to the VBCN's unique position in the world of culture, it leads the way in linking the visual arts with organisations and society at large. It responds to current events, highlights socially relevant issues, and breaks down disciplinary boundaries. Quality and originality are its guiding principles.

Facts and Figures

• The VBCN comprises 50 organisations holding corporate art collections.
• The VBCN's members own a total of circa 100,000 works of art.
• Thanks to corporate collections, hundreds of thousands of employees in the Netherlands come into contact with contemporary fine art every day.
• Corporate collections affect between 10 and 20 per cent of the contemporary art market in the Netherlands and thus help to drive the field's development.
• By loaning works to museums, corporate collections help to make dozens of exhibitions possible each year.

History VBCN

• 2005: VBCN founded.
• February 2005: TNT Post issues set of postage stamps featuring art from VBCN collections.
• November 2007: VBCN holds Energeia sculpture exhibition in Amsterdam's Zuidas district.
• November 2009: VBCN celebrates its fifth anniversary with a symposium and the publication of the book Corporate Art Collections in the Netherlands.
• May, June, July 2010: VBCN holds the exhibition Ons Soort Mensen ("People Like Us"), guest-curated by Lex ter Braak, with Virtueel Museum Zuidas.
• November 2011: VCBN launches the biennial VBCN Open curatorial prize.
• May 2013:Exhibition VBCN Open time deposits with performances en exhibition in collaboration with artists, Marie Reinert and Mounira Al Solh.
• July 2015 start research of Corporate Collections
• December 2015: VBCN celebrates its tenth anniversay
• December 2015 / January 2016 second edition of VBCN OPEN: VBCN 10 jaar jong
• 2016: First VBCN manifestation abroad
• 2017: exhibition Uit het Depot
• 2018: Out of Office
• 2019: VBCN OPEN 3e editie
• 2020: VBCN live webinar; legitmering van bedrijfscollecties ten tijde van Corona
• 2021: Sonsbeek 20>24
• 2022 VBCN OPEN 4e editie