The Groninger Museum has made its most expensive and largest purchase ever: a glass installation by the American glass artist Dale Chihuly. Almost one million euros has been set aside for the artwork, specially designed for the stairwell of the Groninger Museum.
Last winter, there was a large exhibition of the American artist in the Groninger Museum. The highlight of the exhibition was the large installation, consisting of seventy glass forms, that Chihuly designed for the stairwell of the museum. The Grand Stairwell Installation is composed by red, orange and yellow glass shapes, known as Persians. The colourful Persians cover the three walls of the 12-meter-high hall. Each of the 70 glass sculptures weights from 8 to 15 kilos. The installation can be viewed from different floors and from the stairs.
The 998,000 euros deal was partially made possible thanks to contributions from the Rembrandt Association and the Mondriaan Fund, among others.
The second most expensive purchase of the Groninger Museum was a painting by Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, famous Groningen-born artist. In 2017, that painting was bought for 300,000 euros.
