In recent years, so-called transhistorical exhibitions (or ‘fusion exhibitions’) have become increasingly popular worldwide. Exhibits where works of art from different time periods and cultural backgrounds are shown together. Traditional layouts according to chronology, movement, style, ethnicity or genre are hereby relinquished. The great thing about this is that it invites you to look at works that have very different origins and histories with an open mind. As a viewer you start looking differently and see more. You discover surprising connections and stories, and attribute new meanings.

Transhistorical exhibitions and collection-arrangements are an important theme at the Frans Hals Museum. Not only do we stage these kinds of presentations, we also consider the topic carefully. Together with M-Museum in Leuven, we initiated the international research project The Transhistorical Museum: Objects, Narratives and Temporalities in 2015. In this context, two conferences, a workshop and a lecture have already taken place. Furthermore, May 2018 saw a publication devoted to the project published in collaboration with Valiz publishers.

The recent merger of the Frans Hals Museum and De Hallen Haarlem into one museum is partly inspired by the transhistorical project. Our visitors will therefore increasingly be surprised with combinations of old and new art, both at the Hof (Groot Heiligland) and at the Hal (Grote Markt) locations.