Nationaal Holocaust Museum en Joods Museum, Amsterdam

Beroofd – Looted

What is it like when everything is taken from you? Not just your rights and freedom, but also your possessions? The dual exhibition ‘Looted’ (‘Beroofd’) explores the profound loss of Jewish cultural property in the Netherlands. Through eight personal stories, the exhibition makes tangible the devastating impact of cultural theft under inhumane conditions.

Objects are more than material—they embody identity and carry deep emotional significance.

We have designed two identical concepts at the Jewish Museum and the National Holocaust Museum. The eight personal stories take center stage through large projections and key objects prominently displayed in the space. The complex historical context is carefully presented within a modular system of blocks, showcases, media units, and supports. To evoke a sense of reverence, we enveloped the installation in a gradient, transparent shimmer. The only color used is daylight blue, symbolizing that these crimes and horrors occurred in broad daylight, visible to all.

Exhibition design by Caspar Conijn and Lies Willers – Graphic design by Edwin van Gelderen – Lighting design by Beers Nielssen – Production by Planemos – Photography by Anneke van Hymmen and Paul Bomers – Delivery 2024