Fly me to the moon

Moon rock from Rijksmuseum collection on display as part of new art project

In connection with the renovation of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the art project 'Fly me to the moon' will be presented on Friday, 6 October. The project revolves around one of the Rijksmuseum collection's oldest objects - a moon rock. As part of the project, Rotterdam artist duo Liesbeth Bik and Jos van der Pol will ask various questions about this item, which has never before been revealed to the public, including whether the Rijksmuseum has plans to open a museum on the moon.

Treasures and knowledge

The moon rock was acquired during the first manned mission to the moon and was presented to the Rijksmuseum by Willem Drees Jr. It symbolises the exploration of the unknown, colonisation of far-away places and bringing back of treasures and knowledge from these places, like the moon rock itself. Since the so-called discovery of the moon in 1969, people have laid claims on it - of both a symbolic and material nature. There are pieces of moon land for sale on the Internet. A hectare costs between 29 and 49 dollars and includes a deed of ownership. If the Rijksmuseum in its current state were to be rebuilt on the moon, the land needed would cost between 300 and 500 euros.

Tour and publication

This will all be covered in the art project. The moon rock will be displayed in a showcase in one of the towers of the main building. Visitors will only be allowed to enter the building in small supervised groups. A publication will accompany the project, which will include contributions by Frans von der Dunk (outer space lawyer), Jane Rendell (author), Jennifer Allen (art historian) and Wouter Davidts (architecture critic). The project will last until 19 November.

Reserve your guided tour!

Bik Van der Pol

The Rotterdam artist duo, known as Bik Van der Pol (Liesbeth Bik and Jos van der Pol) does not make art in the conventional sense of the word. They create happenings, encounters and confrontations based on the conditions that they find at a particular location. In most cases, the users of the location are also involved in Bik Van der Pol's work.