Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is recreating the iconic peanut-butter floor of the late Dutch artist Wim T. Schippers [1].
The re-installation serves as a tribute to Schippers, a provocative figure in Dutch art and television, ensuring his legacy of experimental and sensory-driven work remains accessible to the public [1, 2].
The project, known as the "pindakaasvloer," involves covering a museum floor with peanut butter to challenge traditional notions of art and smell [3]. This specific recreation was scheduled for installation in July 2024 [1, 4].
Schippers was known for blending high art with mundane, often absurd materials. By using a common food product as a primary medium, he forced viewers to engage with the artwork through scent and texture rather than just sight [3]. The installation is located within the depot of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam [1, 4, 5].
While some reports suggested the work might appear at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, the primary installation is centered in Rotterdam [1, 4]. The effort to bring the floor back follows the death of the artist, marking a transition from a living provocation to a historical retrospective of his influence on contemporary art [2, 4].
The museum intends for the piece to continue Schippers' tradition of disrupting the sterile environment of the gallery. By introducing the pungent aroma of peanut butter into the depot, the institution honors the artist's lifelong commitment to the absurd [1, 2].
“The project involves covering a museum floor with peanut butter to challenge traditional notions of art and smell.”
The recreation of the peanut-butter floor signals a shift in how institutions preserve 'ephemeral' or 'absurdist' art. Because the original medium decays or is consumed, the museum must treat the installation as a performance or a recurring event rather than a static object, cementing Schippers' role in the evolution of conceptual art in the Netherlands.
