Cobra Museum of Modern Art
Sandbergplein 1 is the address of one of the Netherlands' most distinctive modern-art museums, dedicated to the electrifying CoBrA avant-garde movement born in 1948. Bold canvases by Karel Appel, Asger Jorn and Corneille pulse with child-like fury — a complete antidote to the polished Old Masters just up the road in Amsterdam.
What is CoBrA?
CoBrA took its name from the home cities of its founders — Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam — and lasted a mere three years, yet its influence on post-war European art was seismic. The movement rejected cold rationalism in favour of spontaneous brushwork, vivid colour and imagery drawn from folk art, mythology and the unconscious mind.
Museum Cobra opened on 8 November 1995, deliberately echoing the movement's founding date of 8 November 1948. Architect Wim Quist designed a luminous, light-filled building that feels as open and unguarded as the art it houses.
The Collection & Exhibitions
The permanent galleries hold key works from three linked movements: Vrij Beelden (1945), CoBrA (1948–1951) and Creatie (1950–1955), with pieces by Karel Appel, Constant, Corneille, Asger Jorn and Pierre Alechinsky on continuous display. Rotating temporary exhibitions bring in contemporary artists who work in the spirit of CoBrA, keeping the programme fresh year-round.
The museum sits right next to the Stadshart Amstelveen shopping centre, opposite the public library and the Amstelveense Schouwburg theatre, making it easy to combine a cultural morning with lunch in the city centre.
Practical Tips
Allow at least 90 minutes to do the permanent collection justice and catch whatever temporary show is running. The museum shop stocks an excellent range of CoBrA prints, art books and postcards that make far more interesting souvenirs than anything in central Amsterdam.
The I amsterdam City Card covers entry, and the museum is closed on Mondays except on public holidays, when it opens from 11:00–17:00.
Cobra Museum of Modern Art on video
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