ABN AMRO collection in Circl

On this photo from left to right: Marijke van Warmerdam - 'Another day'; Thomas Schütte - 'Grosse Geister (Figur Nr. 15 en Nr. 17)'; Ian Dawson - '111' 
Photo: Gert Jan van Rooijen

Circl is a circular platform, a project initiated by ABN AMRO through which the bank wishes to contribute, along with society, to a sustainable world. Open to all, Circl is a public place where lectures and gatherings are held. Sharing knowledge on the circular economy has prime importance here. With its restaurant and rooftop bar, it is moreover the latest hotspot in the Zuidas district, the place where people go to work, have drinks and dine, meet others or attend a lecture.

In Circl art and historic heritage play a unifying and inspiring role. In the basement a group presentation is on view with highlights from the ABN AMRO art collection. Work by young and rising talent has been combined with that of well-known, more established artists. The selection of the works has been generally linked in this first exhibition with the theme of 'circularity' and the continual tension between nature and culture. This ranges from reuse via artistic appropriation in work by Marijn van Kreij, to the use of existing materials in Remy Jungerman's 'Communication Tree'. It is also epitomized in Henk Wildschut’s documentary photographs that gently portray the makeshift circular shelter as an archetype and in the work of Roland Schimmel, who engages with natural phenomena.

The art presented in Circl has been combined with various objects from the bank's past. These have been used in a creative way, or recycled - the financial tombstones, deal toys, or safe-deposit boxes transformed into service desks, period furniture specially designed for predecessors of the bank, historical stock certificates used as wall decoration, old letters from the bank’s facade conveying a new message - entirely in accordance with Circl's sustainable outlook. A centuries-old bank has reshaped its past and adapted it to modern times.

The art and historic heritage from the ABN AMRO collection is shown in and around the offices in the basement. Open to all, the basement in Circl is a public place. Even when meetings are taking place in the rooms, the art works and objects on view can be seen through the glass windows.

Once every month guided art tours are given, for which visitors can sign up for free at the Circl website. 

Presented in the basement are works from artists like Nathan Azhderian, Arie Berkulin, Amie Dicke, Ian Dawson, Elspeth Diederix, Constant Dullaart, Ed van der Elsken, Ryan Gander, Saskia Noor van Imhoff, Remy Jungerman, Alon Levin, Marijn van Kreij, Carel Lanters, Jonathan Monk, Navid Nuur, Laura Owens, Rory Pilgrim, Scheltens & Abbenes, Thomas Scheibitz, Roland Schimmel, Thomas Schütte, DJ Simpson, Helmut Smits, Sarah van Sonsbeeck, Daniel van Straalen, Thomas Struth, Henk Visch, Marijke van Warmerdam, Henk Wildschut, JCJ Vanderheyden and Massimo Vitali.

Photos: Gert Jan van Rooijen