Who writes history?

Museum aan de A, Groningen (NL), 2025

Museum aan de A is undergoing a major renovation. Behind the scenes, work is in full swing on a new museum about the city and province of Groningen. But how do you develop a history museum that makes multiple perspectives visible?

Temporary exhibition

Even without exhibitions in its own building, Museum aan de A remains visibly present in the city as a guest at the Groninger Museum. In the temporary exhibition ‘Who writes history?’, visitors get a first impression of the future Museum aan de A. At the same time, they are invited to actively contribute to the further development of the museum.

Objects with Meaning

The exhibition centres on a diverse range of objects from the province of Groningen. From medieval masterpieces to everyday items, each object reveals that history is layered and shaped by many different people. Visitors experience that the past does not consist of a single story, but of a collection of perspectives.

Exhibition as a co-creation tool

The exhibition is set up as a testing ground in which visitors respond to questions, objects, and dilemmas. In this way, they become part of the design process. Their responses help us further shape the new museum, which currently exists both literally and figuratively as a blueprint. The concept and design, developed in collaboration with Opera Amsterdam and Museum aan de A, creates an open and accessible environment where thinking along becomes second nature.

A look ahead

‘Who writes history?’ shows how Museum aan de A is working towards a new kind of history museum: contemporary, inquisitive, and firmly rooted in social relevance. The exhibition is therefore not only a preview, but also an invitation to reflect on how we preserve, tell, and pass on the past.

Photos by Jeroen Luttikhuis en Daniek Snijder

“Visitors have already filled quite a number of sheets of paper this week. ‘It ranges from small, personal stories to big theoretical deliberations about what that historical narrative should look like. Everyone gets a chance to express themselves, and that is wonderful to see.’.”

Bastiaan Steffens, head of exhibitions & collections, RTV Noord – 20 November 2025

Credits
Client
Museum aan de A
Content Design
Studio Louter
Spatial Design & Graphic Desgin
Opera Amsterdam
Interactive Media
Tapart
Light Design
Lichtpunt, Groningen
Construction
IRIS vormgeving

Press
DVHN — 15 november 2025
“Robot arm at Museum aan de A writes own history. What’s involved in creating a new museum?” (Dutch article)
RTV Noord — 20 november 2025
“Museum aan de A uses a robotic arm to encourage visitors to reflect on Groningen’s history.” (Dutch article)