Dutch museum recreates Wim T. Schippers peanut butter floor in tribute

The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam has transformed a gallery space into a sensory, high-viscosity tribute to the late artist Wim T. Schippers. The installation features more than 800 pounds of smooth peanut butter spread across a 25-square-metre hexagonal floor, filling the museum’s Depot offshoot with an aroma that staff suggest visitors can detect as far as three floors below.

The work, known as Pindakaasvloer (Peanut Butter Floor), is a recreation of a conceptual piece originally conceived by Schippers in 1962 and first executed in 1969 at the Mickery gallery in Loenersloot. The current two-month exhibition follows the death of the artist last month at age 83. Schippers was a central figure in the Dutch arts, known for his absurdist approach and his role as the voice of Ernie and Kermit the Frog in the Dutch-language version of Sesame Street.

Media additions

Schippers’ legacy is defined by his rejection of seriousness and his penchant for challenging the traditional boundaries of fine art. The Pindakaasvloer was originally part of a broader Floor Covering Series that included galleries layered with salt and shards of broken glass. Sandra Kisters, acting director of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, noted that the piece continues to provoke fundamental questions about the nature of artistic value.

"Peanut butter floor still raises questions like, is this art? Am I allowed to like this? And it is this sense of bewilderment that makes this piece so special."

Sandra Kisters, acting director, via The Guardian

Installation and Specifications

The recreation process was guided by a formal 20-point plan finalized between the museum and Schippers prior to his death. Leon Duenk, one of two staff members who spent several days spreading the 40 buckets of donated Calvé peanut butter, described the labor as a lot of work. Following the artist’s specific requirements, the installation had to be applied as smoothly and boringly as possible to a thickness of two centimetres using drywall trowels.

The museum has implemented strict safety and aesthetic guidelines for this iteration, including a warning at the entrance for visitors with peanut allergies. The current instructions explicitly state that no one is permitted to stand on or lie down in the peanut butter.

History suggests that the public has often interacted with the work in unpredictable ways. In 1997, the Pindakaasvloer was altered when visitors added slices of bread and bags of hagelslag—Dutch chocolate breakfast sprinkles—to the surface. Schippers, rather than condemning the addition, praised the effort.

"The sprinkles have been applied with a sense of proportion and a skillful hand."

Wim T. Schippers, artist, via Volkskrant and AP News

Historical Context and Legacy

The museum acquired the concept of Pindakaasvloer in 2010. The installation has served as a touchstone for Schippers' absurdist philosophy throughout his career, which included the creation of the cult television figure Sjef van Oekel and public sculptures such as a four-metre-high pile of excrement titled Stationnement Gênant (Unauthorised parking).

Kisters highlighted that the artist viewed art and life as simultaneously entirely serious and entirely non-serious. Beyond the exhibition itself, the museum intends to maintain a link to the artist's spirit through its amenities. The museum restaurant will serve peanut butter sandwiches with optional cheese and sambal, while the museum shop will offer jars of smooth peanut butter for those wishing to replicate the installation on a domestic scale.

Visitor Information

• Exhibition Duration: Open to the public through 6 September 2026.
• Location: The Depot, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam.
• Safety Notice: Entrance includes a warning regarding peanut allergies.
• Rules of Conduct: Visitors are strictly prohibited from walking or lying on the artwork.