Taco Dibbits appointed new Rijksmuseum director

By Janene Pieters on May 30, 2016 - 14:40
20140704_Taco_Dibbits_answering_questions_at_James_Boyle_Lecture
Taco Dibbits answering a question at a lecture in the Rijksmuseum, July 2014 (Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg / Wikimedia Commons). (Taco Dibbits answering a question at a lecture in the Rijksmuseum, July 2014 (Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg / Wikimedia Commons))

The supervisory board of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam appointed Taco Dibbits as the new director of the museum. He will be taking over from Wim Pijbes, who is leaving the museum to work at the Voorlinde museum for contemporary art end July, ANP reports.

Dibbits started working in the Rijksmuseum in 2002 and was appointed director of collections in 2008. According to the board, he played a central role in the organization and presentation of the new Rijksmuseum, which reopened in 2013 after extensive renovations.

Chairman of the board Jaap de Hoop Scheffer called Dibbits an icon of the museum. "Driven from content, Taco is eminently capable of giving further shape on the progress of the renovation and development process necessary to again inspire and surprise the museum visitor", he said.

Dibbits is delighted at his new job. "The Rijksmuseum is one of the finest museums in the world, so it's fantastic that I may give guidance. The treasures of the museum represent its strength to me. It is a museum for everyone."

Minister Jet Bussemaker of Education, Culture and Science is also pleased that Dibbits was chosen to succeed Pijbes. "With the acquisition of Maerten en Oopjen I got to know him well. I appreciate his  expertise", she said to NU.nl about the appointment. "The new director of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam wants to make as many people as possible, including both children and adults, curious about art and have them enjoy art. That endeavor I applaud."

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