As an experienced art historian, museum curator and director, Andreas Blühm brings over 30 years of expertise from working at five prestigious museums in Germany and the Netherlands.
His career highlights include directing major institutions, curating record-breaking exhibitions, and shaping impactful museum identities, websites and wayfinding systems.
Andreas secured government and corporate funding, developed outreach programmes, and trained current and future museum professionals. Through an extensive global network, he connects art with people, fostering dialogues that transcend borders and enrich cultural understanding.
The Colour of Sculpture - Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam & Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, 1996
GoghModern - Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 2003
The Photograph and the American Dream - Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 2001
Der Mond / The Moon - Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, Cologne, 2010
Fierce Friends - Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 2005
Chihuly - Groninger Museum, 2018
Shaping the Future of Museums Worldwide
Andreas Blühm has played a pivotal role in shaping world-class exhibitions and crafting distinctive museum identities.
His impact extends beyond individual projects—renowned museum directors and cultural leaders have commented on his vision and expertise. Below are some reviews from key figures in the museum world, highlighting his contributions to exhibition curation, museum identity and strategic development.
Andreas Blühm & David LaChapelle - photo: Linda Stulic
Richard Dorment
The Daily Telegraph, 2005
Fierce Friends
Fierce Friends. Artists an Animals [Van Gogh Museum 2005] was
organised by Louise Lippincott and Andreas Blühm, who also wrote the endlessly
fascinating catalogue. For my money they
are the most interesting art historians working anywhere in the world today.
James N. Wood
Director, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2008
A Bold Vision
Your transformation of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum was a revelation to
experience first hand. I truly felt that I was seeing the collection for the first time and
that your bold, but tasteful, use of color and design elements allowed the building
to enhance rather than smother the art.
Bertram Müller
Rheinische Post, 2009
Delivering on Promises
Many a museum director has trumpeted lofty goals upon taking office, only to later prefer that these ambitions not be revisited. Andreas Blühm, however, the director of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne, has come remarkably close to fulfilling the bold promises he made two and a half years ago. The number of visitors to his institution has, in fact, doubled.
Alessandro and Francesco Mendini
2014
Timeless Beauty
We found the [Groninger] museum’s displays very beautiful and it is miraculous how the building is renewed continuously with such freshness, energy and quality.
Festkomitee des Kölner Karnevals
2007
A Museum Reimagined
Dr. Andreas Blühm and his team have, so to speak, “awakened” the Wallraf. They have lowered the threshold for visiting this museum and sparked people's curiosity.
Hans-Heinrich Grosse-Brockhoff
2009
New Horizons
The Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne, under its new director Dr. Andreas Blühm, has quietly and calmly set an exemplary example of how to lead an old, renowned museum to new horizons and, incidentally, double its visitor numbers!
