"RELICS is not about bringing the past back to life. RELICS is a matter of beauty." - Iacopo Briano, collection builder & Art Zoo Museum curator
Opening April 17th, RELICS offers us a new perspective on dinosaur fossils. The exhibition pioneers the intersection of Baroque art and prehuman history, set beneath a magnificent painted ceiling by Dutch master Jacob de Wit in Art Zoo's monumental 17th-century canal house.
Contrasts of texture and time unite the sculptures in an artistic ode to a lost era. Soft velvet meets fossilized bone, dipped steel coral, and exposed metal frameworks.
Opening April 17th 2026 in Art Zoo Museum, Amsterdam
Step into the quiet magic of our inner garden, a hidden oasis made for slow spring moments. Tulips are in full bloom, and so is our new exhibition RELICS.
Art Zoo Museum, Herengracht 368
TIME SELECTS ART ZOO MUSEUM AS ‘WORLD’S GREATEST PLACE’
We’re extremely proud to announce that Art Zoo Museum is featured in TIME’s 2026 list of ‘World’s Greatest Places’.
The abundance of established and celebrated new museums across The Netherlands, makes being selected an extraordinary honour.
TIME: “This is Amsterdam’s wildest new cultural establishment. Art Zoo Museum elevates taxidermy to high art, arranging hundreds of animals and natural-world objects into quirky tableaux vivants inspired by the Dutch Golden Age.”
Darwin, Sinke & van Tongeren: “Our goal was to create something breathtaking. To make people’s jaw drop in awe. To be acknowledged by TIME in this way, within the first year of our museum, is beyond our wildest expectations.”
#timemagazine #WorldGreatestPlaces #time100
For one special afternoon, the RELICS exhibition room became an avant-garde dining experience. Darwin, Sinke & van Tongeren transformed the space into a showstopping private lunch for their clients, alongside Michelin Chef Leon Mazairac (@leon_mazairac ). With every detail curated by the artists, it made for an otherworldly tablescape.
Deze hidden gem café ontdek je alleen met een ticket voor @artzoomuseum 👀☕
Een espresso bar verstopt in een 17e-eeuws grachtenpand, inclusief geheime binnentuin. Charles Darwin quotes op het plafond en alles.
📍 Herengracht 368, Amsterdam
#amsterdam #hiddengems #artzoo #cafeguide #datespot
From fossil to relic: how the 15-meter Basilosaurus skeleton was transformed into contemporary art. Darwin, Sinke & van Tongeren drew inspiration from ancient skeletal crowns (slide 4) to construct this abstract sculpture. The bones are arranged in an altar-like composition - never before attempted with dinosaur remains. Steel coral branches extend from the crown, each holding spheres of fossilized coral.
The best part about May’s public holidays? More time to spend in the garden. We’re open every day this week - including Hemelvaartsdag. Come find us on your day off to enjoy a peaceful afternoon in the city!
An ode to the season: Maria Sibylla Merian’s illustration of an Agate Maurine tulip, framed by two seashells. Created during her time in Amsterdam, this work reflects the Dutch Golden Age fascination with rare tulip varieties.
Join our botanical illustration workshop and discover the centuries-old tradition of botanical art as you practice traditional watercolor techniques.
Registration includes museum admission and coffee/tea
Dates: September 26 | October 25 (link in bio)
*Workshop taught in Dutch
We hosted the launch of the first-ever T. rex leather handbag, and now it’s time for it to head to auction. This weekend is your final chance to see it in the museum, on view through Sunday!
