The ARTZUID Foundation was established as a cultural non-profit organization in 2008 by Cintha van Heeswijck and local residents of Amsterdam-Zuid.[2] The first biennial ARTZUID exhibition took place in 2009 and it has since grown into a widely recognized outdoor exhibition of contemporary sculptures, attracting thousands of visitors and featuring works by various contemporary artists.
The Foundation won the Europa Nostra Award in 2011 for making a hidden cultural heritage site known to a broad public.[3]
- ARTZUID 2009: The first freely accessible exhibition was called Berlage in Sculptures. The creator was Michiel Romeyn. The history of the neighborhood helped him select the art presented. It was supported by international galleries, the Rijksakademie, Dutch company collections, artists, and museums like the Stedelijk Museum. The event attracted 90,000 visitors.
- ARTZUID 2011: The second edition of ARTZUID was called The World Around — Equality in Diversity and opened by Queen Beatrix. Curator Jan Cremer mixed European sculptures with works by artists from Brazil, Suriname, India, Ghana, China, Indonesia, the United States, and more to reflect the mixed population of Amsterdam. Artists from 21 countries participated with 58 sculptures from creators such as Anthony Caro, Jean Tinguely, Anthony Gormley, and Ugo Rondinone.
- ARTZUID 2013: The theme of the third exhibition was Engagement. The foundation, together with curator Henk van Os, professor of art and society at the University of Amsterdam, decided to "shake up assumptions and suppositions." The exhibition featured artists from every continent.[4]
- ARTZUID 2015: Amsterdam, City of Sculptures was the title of the fourth edition of the exhibition, and it was curated by Rudi Fuchs, former director of the Stedelijk Museum.[5] This time, the open-air sculpture route in Amsterdam attracted ~500,000 visitors. Exhibitions included Tony Cragg's bronze works, Mimmo Paladino's statues, KAWS' cartoon figures, Jaume Plensa's monumental sculptures.
- ARTZUID 2017: The celebration of the fifth edition ARTZUID coincided with the 100th anniversary of the De Stijl movement. This time Rudi Fuchs chose Dutch abstraction, "the great new revelation of modern art", as a theme connecting all the sculptures placed along the 2.5-kilometer route in South Amsterdam. Participating artists included Klaas Gubbels, Arne Quinze, and Esther Tielemans. Atelier Van Lieshout also contributed to the sculpture route.
- ARTZUID 2019: The sixth edition of the sculpture route and was called The Sculptures, The Figurations, The Garden & The Spectacle. Art historian and retired art critic Jhim Lamoree and visual artist Michiel Romeyn curated the exhibition. It was themed around figuration in modern and contemporary art, as well as the adornment of the South Amsterdam area Plan Zuid. The curators organized ARTZUID 2019 as a reflection on the impact of modern art and sculpture on today's artists, and how they use this history to be critical of their foundations. Artists such as Yoshitomo Nara, Ai Weiwei, Takashi Murakami, and Nancy Rubins participated. The Stedelijk Museum also participated and exhibited the works of Henry Moore.
- ARTZUID 2021: Ralph Keuning, a Dutch art historian, curated the seventh edition, Imagine.[6] Artists such as Sarah Lucas, Joanneke Meester, Ugo Rondinone, and Sokari Douglas Camp participated.
- ARTZUID 2023: marked the exhibition's eighth edition and the 15th anniversary of the Foundation. Artist and TV personality Jasper Krabbé curated this edition, which explored pop art, neo-pop art, and street art.[7]
- ARTZUID 2025: will return with the title Enlightenment.[8] Amsterdam celebrates its 750th anniversary in 2025 and this ninth edition aims to reflect on the city's freedom and tolerance. This year's key artists are Magdalena Abakanowicz, Alicja Kwade, Yoshitomo Nara, David Nash, Jaume Plensa, and Arlene Shechet.
For each edition, a curator is commissioned to select sculptures based on the exhibition theme. The exhibition takes place every other year in the Art-Deco district in Amsterdam. The ARTZUID sculpture trail starts at Minervalaan 1, at the Information Pavilion.
Well-known former curators include Rudi Fuchs, Henk van Os, Jan Cremer, Michiel Romeyn & Roberto Meyer, Jhim Lamoree, Maarten Bertheux, Ralph Keuning, and Jasper Krabbé.
In the words of Rudi Fuchs, ARTZUID is "a unique event on a global scale." Fuchs says he is "not aware of any other biennale that focuses solely on outdoor sculpture."[9]
| Dreamideamachine (2025)
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Contemporary overview of ArtZuid structure and legacy
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| Pace Gallery (2025)
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Thematic exploration and curatorial insights
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| MASTERS EXPO (2025)
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Exhibition presentation and environmental context
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| Piercings Works blog (2025)
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Visitor‑oriented details and accessibility
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| Stephen Friedman Gallery (2025)
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Artist‑specific coverage, enriching the narrative
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| TravelswithCharie (2021 & 2023)
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Visitor gaze, public reception, visual impressions
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