Gallery
De Haagse Hogeschool
De Haagse Hogeschool —
Kunstcollectie De Haagse Hogeschool
info
The Hague University of Applied Sciences is an educational institution that offers a large number of courses to both national and international students. The organization consists of faculties, lectorates and services. More than 27,000 students follow a bachelor's, master's or post-higher vocational education in four locations. More than 2,000 employees work there.
The head office is at the Johanna Westerdijkplein in The Hague, right next to the Holland Spoor station.
This building by the architectural firm Atelier Pro was taken into use in 1996. A special building that, despite its considerable size, never feels like an education factory and still looks modern to this day.
The art collection of The Hague University of Applied Sciences can be found in this building.
The role art could play was a prime consideration from the first planning for its new building for The Hague University on the Johanna Westerdijkplein. The collection started with four large art assignments. This resulted in the meters tall wooden sculpture by Stephan Balkenhol in the atrium, the striking ceramic artwork by Hans van Bentem in front of the building, the text work by Lawrence Weiner on the facade, and once two brightly-coloured murals by Roland Schimmel.
Because at the time the medium resonated well with students, there was an emphasis on collecting art photography. The collection started with two photography commissions; one to Jannes Linders and one to Carl de Keyzer. These two projects became the context for the acquisition of dozens of contemporary art photos. A collection of historical photos about The Hague was also created, with the aim of giving students an impression of their new student city.
In this way a modest but interesting photo collection emerged, with at its core the human identity in relationship to the urban environment.
The art collection now contains dozens of photographic works by Andreas Gursky, Bertien van Manen, Elspeth Diederix, Lawrence Weiner, Liza May Post, Stephan Balkenhol and Wijnanda Deroo. It shows a cross-section of art photography from the turn of the century, and has museum allure.
A new art committee was set up in 2017 and a new art commission was realized in 2018: The Bubble by the artist Johan Nieuwenhuize.
Now the university is striving to realize a new work of art. In this way, art at The Hague University of Applied Sciences remains a means of approaching the world in a creative and idiosyncratic way, in addition to the range of study programs on offer, and continues to surprise and stimulate students and teachers.