from 21 of may
Between softness & strength
The Dutch Silver Museum presents the exhibition Elise van Staveren: Between Softness & Strength.
From 21 May through 29 November 2026, visitors to the Dutch Silver Museum in Schoonhoven can admire the artworks of Elise van Staveren. In her first solo museum exhibition, Between Softness & Strength, she brings together oil paintings on canvas and still lifes composed of silver objects.
Elise van Staveren
Her paintings are based on moments. Everyday memories that many people can relate to. Through painting, she captures these fleeting experiences and preserves them in time.
She combines her paintings with silver objects that change over time. Matches, condoms, and candles gradually react to the air, causing the silver to transform and, with it, the artwork itself.
“As human beings, we move between two ways of looking at time: the desire to hold on and the awareness that everything passes,” the artist explains.
Photo: Darian Delrich
Unique to the Dutch Silver Museum
Lucinda Timmermans, curator of the Dutch Silver Museum, explains: “Elise is a young artist. She approaches silver from the perspective of an artist, which differs from the way silversmiths view it. Silver is her visual language. Through it, she tells her story. As a museum, we want to showcase that perspective as well.”
The exhibition will be on view from 21 May through 29 November 2026 at the Dutch Silver Museum in Schoonhoven.
For opening hours, admission prices, and more information, visit zilvermuseum.com.
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