Museum MORE: Connecting people, art lovers and artists

By Malin Norman | Photos: Museum MORE

Museum MORE is one of Europe’s largest and leading museums dedicated to Modern Realism. From 20^th century masters to contemporary realists, it presents world-class exhibitions at two outstanding locations; the bright and airy Museum MORE in Gorssel and the breathtaking Museum MORE | Ruurlo Castle.

Founded in 2015 as a private initiative, Museum MORE is an ambitious and vibrant museum presenting the rich spectrum of high-quality figurative art from the 20th century to the present day. Attracting around 250,000 visitors per year to its two locations, the museum is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

With its own collection and temporary exhibitions featuring art from the Netherlands and abroad, MORE presents works that demonstrate mastery and imagination; art that seduces, moves, convinces and challenges. “MORE deliberately explores the boundaries of what realism can be, breaking down conventions in unexpected ways,” says Ellen van Slagmaat, head of marketing and communications.

Fong-Leng’s iconic fashion design

Fong-Leng & Mathilde | Chic Le Freak will be on view at Museum MORE | Ruurlo Castle until 28 June, in collaboration with Museum JAN. This exhibition shows revolutionary creations by Chinese-Dutch fashion designer and artist Fong-Leng, as seen worn by celebrities such as British popstar Kate Bush. “It also focuses on Fong-Leng’s relationship with her muse, the eccentric Mathilde Willink,” says van Slagmaat. “Mathilde often wore Fong-Leng’s extravagant designs and brought them to life. Think Lady Gaga, but in the 1970s.”

Mathilde Willink was married to Dutch painter Carel Willink. The grandmaster of neorealism, he was known for painting elegant, enigmatic and stately architectural settings. Museum MORE owns the largest collection of his works, and around 30 of his masterpieces are on display at Ruurlo Castle.

From Italian Realism to everyday life

The exhibition Magico! Italian Realism 1920-1970, in collaboration with 24 ORE Cultura, will be available at Gorssel until 7 June. The first exhibition in the Netherlands to introduce the development of 20^th century modern realist painting in Italy, it features 70 selected works by artists such as Edita Broglio, Felice Casorati, Giorgio de Chirico, Cagnaccio di San Pietro, Antonio Donghi, Leonor Fini, Domenico Gnoli, Ubaldo Oppi and Gino Severini.

Museum MORE Gorssel.

Another exhibition at Gorssel is Robin Wen & Bobbi Essers, opening on 14 May. French-Taiwanese artist Wen and Dutch artist Essers Drawing base their work on own lived experiences – intimate and fragile at times, powerful at others. Together, they explore themes of friendship and adventure: moments of togetherness in a bedroom, or solitary dancing at a rave. For the opening, expect nothing less – there will indeed be a DJ and a rave party.

Also opening on 14 May at Gorssel, the solo exhibition Kabinet | Maeve van Klaveren features a selection of 11 works. With a combination of materials and techniques – charcoal, watercolour, pastel and coloured pencil – van Kaveren creates vibrant scenes that centre on everyday life, providing a sense of warmth and intimacy.

Entrance hall and shop. Museum MORE Gorssel.

Love, lust and the built environment

From 21 June, visitors can explore the duo exhibition Charley Toorop & Pyke Koch | Alles of niets at Gorssel. Widely regarded as two of the most important figurative Dutch painters of the 20^th century, the two artists are displayed together for the first time. This is an unprecedented artistic encounter, revealing surprising connections between Toorop and Koch.

In collaboration with the Amsterdam street art museum STRAAT, Museum MORE presents Junkspace from 8 November. It includes reflections by 40 contemporary Dutch and international artists on the uniform and anonymous spaces of our built environment. “For this exhibition, we selected dozens of contemporary Dutch artists, complemented by a small number of artists from elsewhere in Europe, who engage with our living environment in original, surprising or confrontational ways,” says van Slagmaat.

Another exhibition in the pipeline is Love & Lust, opening on 29 November. The exhibition unites visual art created after 1900 by Dutch artists with poetry by some of the country’s leading poets. van Slagmaat adds; “Few subjects in art have been explored so extensively as love. Whether expressed as courtly love, compassion, romantic love or pure lust, it has continued to inspire painters, photographers and poets to this day.”

Entrance hall and shop. Museum MORE Gorssel.

Exhibitions at Museum MORE in Gorssel:

Magico! Italian Realism 1920-1970
Until 7 June, 2026

Robin Wen & Bobbi Essers
14 May to 15 November, 2026

Kabinet | Maeve van Klaveren
14 May to 15 November, 2026

Charley Toorop & Pyke Koch | Alles of niets
21 June to 25 October, 2026

Junkspace
8 November, 2026 to 28 February, 2027

Love & Lust
29 November, 2026 to 17 May, 2027

www.museummore.nl

Exhibition at Museum MORE | Ruurlo Castle:

Fong-Leng & Mathilde | Chic Le Freak
Until 28 June, 2026

www.museummore-kasteelruurlo.nl