THIS IS NOT A MUSEUM / THIS IS NOT A CATALOGUE reimagines Maastricht University’s art collection as a living, narrative-driven entity. Through the interplay of 77 artworks, 1,000 film stills, and 65 pulp titles, the book invites critical, playful reinterpretation—transforming the collection into a cinematic, speculative space of cultural and personal resonance.

THIS IS NOT A MUSEUM / THIS IS NOT A CATALOGUE is a highly subjective visual and narrative exploration of the Maastricht University’s art collection. Rather than striving for comprehensiveness or realism, the book constructs a fictional stage where the artworks interact dynamically with the viewer and with one another. Each section highlights a single artwork, contextualized within a layered environment of movie stills and book titles that form new perspectives and narratives.

The book features 77 artworks—selected from a collection that includes over 40 years of commissions, acquisitions, and site-specific installations—and frames them in dialogue with a curated selection of approximately 1,000 movie stills—spanning films from 1902 to 2024—and 65 titles of paperback novels, primarily from the horror and science fiction genres of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. These stills and book titles act as storytelling devices, reframing the artworks in a playful yet thought-provoking manner. Popular culture becomes a key framework, not just as a source of imagery but as a way to engage with and comment on the collection’s broader social and historical context.

The pages function as theatrical stages where artworks, movie stills, and book titles coexist and interact, fostering discovery and speculation. This interplay transforms the collection into a living, reconfigurable entity. The deliberate juxtaposition of these elements challenges readers to form their own associations, inviting reinterpretation and fresh perspectives. Beyond its visual storytelling, the book embodies a methodology of disassembly and reassembly. By breaking away from traditional classifications, the design allows the collection to be seen as a fluid and evolving „pool“ of connections, interpretations, and stories. The result is a multilayered, immersive book that invites readers into a dialogue between art, popular culture, and personal imagination.

Specifications:
240 x 330 mm, 276 pages, 2500 copies, 6-Color Offset Print + Screen Printed Dust Jacket

Yannick Nuss, Maastricht University
Barbara Strating, Curator of Art (Arts and Heritage Committee) Maastricht University
Drukkerij Roelofs (Cees Hoestlandt, Rob Meijer), Printing and Binding
Maastricht University, Publisher