'Emily Hunt: More Magic

This autumn, Rijksmuseum Huis van het boek presents Emily Hunt: More Magic, on view until 1 February 2026 – the first European solo museum exhibition of visual artist Emily Hunt. Commissioned by the museum, Hunt has spent the past months delving into Huis van het boek’s rich collection in search of magical books: “Of all the things we have invented, the book is the most magical.”

'News from Nowhere'

'News from Nowhere' is an exhibition of 678 artist novels, with special attention to News from Nowhere (1890), the first artist novel written by William Morris – artist, designer, and utopian thinker. The collection of artist novels, featuring works by renowned artists such as Salvador Dalí, Yayoi Kusama, and Andy Warhol, has been assembled by David Maroto and Joanna Zielińska. The novels are presented alongside a highlight from the museum’s collection: the cabinet containing all the editions of the Kelmscott Press, the legendary private press founded by William Morris in 1891.

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Love for the book

Huis van het boek is the museum that celebrates the love for the book. Who doesn't like books? This oldest book museum in the world offers the visitor the chance to see medieval manuscripts with hand-painted miniatures on parchment. Centuries-old printed books in beautiful leather bindings and special modern books made by artists. Books don't always have to be pretty. The content is also important. That is why the museum also creates exhibitions about the role of books in major social changes and how they have influenced us. Are you curious about the makers of books? Take a workshop and learn about letters, paper, illustrations and bindings. All this can be seen and done in the house where collector Baron Willem Hendrik van Westreenen van Tiellandt lived in the 19th century, surrounded by his precious books.

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Exhibition

'Emily Hunt: More Magic'

This autumn, from 27 September 2025 to 1 February 2026, Rijksmuseum Huis van het boek presents Emily Hunt: More Magic, the first European solo museum exhibition of the visual artist Emily Hunt. Commissioned by the museum, Hunt has spent the past months exploring Huis van het boek’s rich collection in search of magical books: “Of all the things we have invented, the book is the most magical. You can open a book and instantly be transported to another world. By working with the museum’s collection, I have discovered new connections between ancient and contemporary forms of magic. Magic has always been with us, and I believe it can help us look at the world in a different way.” Hunt’s exploration forms the foundation of a new series of enchanting works: ceramic sculptures, etchings, portraits, jewelry, murals, and marionettes. In her practice, Hunt dives into the past in search of magic for the future.

Free guided tours of the exhibition “Myths and Possibilities”

Every two weeks our guides take you on a journey past enchanting medieval books and intriguing contemporary artworks. Together we explore works that push the boundaries of reality and create new worlds. Some offer appealing alternatives to our present one, such as Thomas More’s Utopia. Others claim a reality that never truly existed, like travel accounts that reinforced prejudices about distant places—for example, the 15th-century Liber chronicorum by Hartmann Schedel. The artworks by Laure Prouvost, Fiona Lutjenhuis, and Rens Krikhaar also open up new worlds, each with its own fascinating stories. Can—and do—we want to believe in these imagined realities? Or should we approach them with a critical eye?

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