Thanks to these pioneering efforts and the company’s continued dedication to supporting culture and the arts, the Art Foundation celebrated its 25^th anniversary in 2020.

True to its earliest motto to go beyond the surface, the Art Foundation had planned a year full of celebrations, but global events dictated otherwise. However, there were still several highlights, including the launch of the new AkzoNobel Art Foundation catalog – We Are the Collection.

The magazine-style publication sheds light on the identity of the titular “We” and features contributions by artists, curators, photographers, art critics, writers and AkzoNobel colleagues.

Speaking at the launch of the catalog, AkzoNobel’s Executive Committee member Isabelle Deschamps (pictured below) commented: “A corporate art collection is an act of commitment towards the societies and communities in which we live and operate. A commitment AkzoNobel has kept for the past 25 years. Now that is something to be proud of. Art is about being inclusive and being ready to be inspired, but also challenged. Art is pioneering, it’s about pushing boundaries.”

A jubilee exhibition which was due to open in 2020 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been rescheduled to open in September 2021 at the AkzoNobel Art Space in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

It was also a great honor and privilege to see the Art Foundation’s unceasing support for the international art world over the last 25 years recognized by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who appointed Hester Alberdingk Thijm (pictured above) – Director of the AkzoNobel Art Foundation – as a Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau.