Expo 'Ekō - Japan in two picture stories' now at Maritime Museum

Het Scheepvaartmuseum, housed in an imposing 17th-century building that once served as the arsenal of the Dutch Navy, will open the exhibition Ekō - Japan in Two Picture Stories starting March 5, 2026. The museum, an important custodian of more than five hundred years of Dutch maritime history, will show here a special combination of ancient and modern Japanese photography.

The exhibition brings together historical photographs of Japan, including work by photographer Felice Beato and Dutch consul Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek. Part of the museum's extensive collection, these images offer a rare glimpse into a bygone era. Complementing these old photographs is the work of Anaïs López, a contemporary photographer and visual artist. She connects her photographs thematically to topics such as mourning, nature management and imagination, creating an intriguing dialogue between past and present.

The exhibition responds to the cultural interaction between the Netherlands and Japan, a relationship historically rooted in diplomacy and early photographic documentation. This parallel narrative of images reveals not only history, but also the way images can convey meaning and experience over time.

The exhibition responds to the cultural interaction between the Netherlands and Japan, a relationship historically rooted in diplomacy and early photographic documentation.

With this presentation, the museum offers a mix of multimedia storytelling and educational content, befitting its role as a national center for maritime history and culture. Visitors will encounter here not only the historic building designed by Daniël Stalpaert, but also the large collection of maritime paintings, ship models and navigational instruments that define the museum's identity. The Ekō exhibition ties in with recent developments at the museum, including a reopening after renovation in 2011 and its ever-renewing exhibition programs.