Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen to conclude his tenure as Director of De Pont Museum

Tilburg, 7 April 2026 — Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen (68) will conclude his tenure as Director of De Pont Museum on 1 October 2026. After seven years at the helm, he has decided to pass on the leadership of the museum and will retire later this year.

Taco Dibbits, Chair of the Board of De Pont Museum, said:
“De Pont is an artist-driven museum. Over the past seven years, Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen has led the institution with vision and conviction. He has strengthened both the programme and the collection through distinctive exhibitions and rigorously composed constellations of works. During this period, the museum has increased its visibility and accessibility, while consolidating its position nationally and internationally.”

Career

Van Nieuwenhuyzen was appointed Director of De Pont in 2019, bringing extensive international experience. He began his career at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in 1990 as editor and press officer, and from 1994 worked as a curator. Between 1999 and 2006, he led the Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (SMBA), the museum’s experimental project space. From 2000 to 2003, he served as Associate Director of Exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. In 2005, he curated the Dutch Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, presenting the work of De Rijke / De Rooij.

Van Nieuwenhuyzen has developed long-term collaborations with artists including Wolfgang Tillmans and Tino Sehgal. His exhibition practice is characterised by a precise use of space, in which architecture and installation actively shape how the work is experienced.

Programme

Under his leadership, De Pont realised exhibitions that engaged the full breadth of the building, featuring artists such as Laure Prouvost, Raphaela Vogel, Meiro Koizumi, Kasper Bosmans, Beatriz González, Thomas Schütte, Ragnar Kjartansson, Tino Sehgal, Rita McBride, Kara Walker and Steve McQueen. He broadened the programme to include performance and introduced new international perspectives, including artists from Latin America — developments that were also reflected in the collection.

He also reinvigorated the museum’s public programme with the introduction of the monthly PUNCH De Pont evenings — collaborative, experimental events developed with partners from the city and region. In addition, the museum introduced free admission for visitors aged 26 and under, investing in a lasting relationship with a new generation of audiences. In 2026, De Pont also launched a new visual identity.

Reflection

Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen said:
“I look back on my years at De Pont with a profound sense of fulfilment. Few museums in the Netherlands place artists so consistently at the centre. The flexibility of the building, the clarity of the spaces and the scale at which one can work here create exceptional conditions for a sustained engagement with art. It has been a privilege to do this together with a deeply committed team and in close dialogue with artists. Together, we have laid a strong foundation for the future.”

Looking ahead

Last month, De Pont opened ATLAS, an exhibition by the British artist Steve McQueen. In September 2026, the museum will present The Knowledge of Colours by Sigmar Polke, Left Hand Path by Matthew Monahan, and Future of Yesterday by Bárbara Wagner & Benjamin de Burca.