Aaaaaaaahhhhaaaa monsters! Luckily they’re not frightening, but they are great fun, quirky and just a little bit scary. You can make them yourself. And as monsters can take any shape or form, you can let your imagination run wild. Does your monster have one eye, seven or ten? Arms and legs or maybe dangerous claws? Horns or fur? All children can play their part by making a Museum Monster in class. Want to know how to join in? Read more below!

All these strange monsters will take over the Van Abbemuseum on Sunday 13 November. They’ll be there at 17:30, together with all members and artists. It’s really exciting, no one knows this yet! When the lights are turned on, the Museum Monsters will be illuminated. There they are! Projected all over the museum! Will you be there too? Take a look at the secret programme here.

This light artwork by Hugo Vrijdag sees primary school and first year secondary school children taking over the Van Abbemuseum with their Museum Monsters. Vrijdag’s inspiration came from the lockdown, when he saw closed shops and deserted streets in many European cities. Young people were taking over the abandoned streets with their graffiti and throw-ups. The tattoos of the city. Now the children have the unique chance to take over the Van Abbemuseum with their own creations. Every child can show their work, individual and yet together. A collective artwork that conquers the Van Abbemuseum, both inside and out. Layer by layer, the monsters come to life. They create the skin of the city that becomes thicker and richer. If you look carefully, you’ll see them in the evening. The public are observers of layered monsters and throw-ups that appear one by one.

This project is realized in collaboration with primary schools in Eindhoven and the surrounding area, the Cultuurstation, the Van Abbemuseum, Atelier MCFW, De Ontdekfabriek and Korein.