Hermine Giefing-Elzas and her husband Abraham Elzas liked to travel. Little is known about their journeys, but the holiday photos they took in various places in Europe may reveal their unknown fascinations and sources of inspiration. In the context of Disclosing Architecture, Het Nieuwe Instituut is starting a public investigation into these private images in the hope of not only gaining new insights about Abraham Elzas and Hermine Giefing-Elzas, but also to establish new connections between the hundreds of archives which make up the Dutch national collection. We invite you to analyse the images and uncover unknown histories.

The collection of artist Theo van Doesburg (1883-1931) at Het Nieuwe Instituut consists mainly of colour designs, architectural drawings and photo-mechanical reproductions on tracing paper. This important collection is being examined, conserved and, if necessary, restored to preserve it for the future. During Art Rotterdam, project leader Elza van den Berg and curator Eline de Graaf of Het Nieuwe Instituut discuss the ongoing research and restoration project.