"The Subversive Charm of the Bourgeoisie"

EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS

"The Subversive Charm of the Bourgeoisie"

VAN ABBEMUSEUM

Like many European and American museums, the Van Abbemuscum was founded by a wealthy iiultistrialist. In "The Subversive Charm of the Bourgeoisie," artworks and documents from the museum's collections were combined with recent works that are said to contain "bourgeois elements." In a Europe beset by discussions about (the need for) a renewal of bourgeois values or of a bourgeois lifestyle, such an exhibition is timely, although it turned out to be at least as confused as those discussions. In the media, the historical-and by now largely defunct-bourgeoisie is often turned into a …