SBMK

What SBMK does

SBMK (Stichting Behoud Hedendaagse Kunst, previously Stichting Behoud Moderne Kunst; English: Foundation for the Conservation of Contemporary Art) is a Dutch nonprofit foundation established in 1995 and headquartered in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. It develops 'good practice' standards for the management, conservation, and preservation of contemporary visual art, working through collaborative research projects with collection managers, conservators, and restorers across Dutch museums and cultural institutions. The organization was founded in response to a recognized need for conservation criteria for 'non-traditional objects in modern art', formalized from a 1993 working group initiated by the Kröller-Müller Museum.

The foundation's product portfolio consists of knowledge assets rather than commercial software: the 'SBHK Platform' (a knowledge-sharing hub for conservation questions), the 'Fotografie Identificatie Tool' (an online tool for identifying photographic works in museum collections), research publications (notably the internationally recognized 'Modern Art: Who Cares?'), workshops, symposiums, and multi-year research projects. The most recent flagship project, 'Contemporary Art: Who Dares? In dialoog zorgen voor hedendaagse kunst', runs January 2026 to December 2028.

SBMK operates as a stichting (foundation) funded through project grants and cultural-heritage partnerships rather than commercial revenue. Its go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: workshops, training sessions, and symposiums hosted at partner museums (Rijksakademie Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Van Abbemuseum, Centraal Museum Utrecht, Kröller-Müller Museum, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, and others) across all Dutch provinces, supplemented by an online platform, a LinkedIn presence, and email newsletters. Customers are Dutch museums and cultural-heritage institutions, with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) as a core strategic partner. The organization rebranded from SBMK to SBHK in 2025 to align its Dutch name with its English identity and reflect its contemporary-art focus.

Name

SBMK

Legal name

Stichting Behoud Hedendaagse Kunst

Website

https://sbmk.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SBMK (now SBHK) is a Dutch nonprofit foundation, founded in 1995, that develops 'good practice' standards for the conservation and preservation of contemporary visual art. It serves Dutch museums and cultural-heritage institutions through research projects, workshops, a knowledge-sharing platform, and specialized tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

's-hertogenbosch

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation/Grant Funding: As a non-profit foundation (stichting), SBMK operates through project funding and partnerships rather than traditional revenue generation. The organization develops and participates in research projects funded by cultural heritage bodies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SBMK (now SBHK) is a Dutch nonprofit foundation that develops and disseminates 'good practice' for the conservation and preservation of contemporary visual art. It operates an online platform addressing conservation questions, offers a photography identification tool, runs collaborative research projects, hosts workshops and symposia, and produces internationally recognized publications for collection managers, conservators, curators, and restorers.

Product overview

SBMK/SBHK operates as a foundation focused on the management and preservation of contemporary visual art, offering a platform for conservation issues and specialized tools. The organization provides a network for collection managers, curators, and restorers to address material-technical and ethical questions. Key offerings include the SBHK Platform for conservation questions and the Fotografie Identificatie Tool for photographic identification. The organization also conducts research projects, workshops (such as the workshop datawerkplaats digitale kunst for digital art), and publishes knowledge resources. The product portfolio centers on knowledge-sharing and practical tools rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SBHK Platform (SBMK-platform conserveringsvraagstukken) An online platform dedicated to addressing conservation questions and challenges in contemporary art. It serves as a knowledge-sharing hub for collection managers, curators, and restorers to discuss material-technical and ethical issues related to art preservation.
• Fotografie Identificatie Tool (Photography Identification Tool) A specialized tool for identifying and analyzing photographic works in art collections, helping conservators and collection managers with proper identification and documentation of photography.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and founding.

• Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborative partner for the SBMK Platform on conservation questions and anniversary activities. RCE (Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands) works with SBMK on professional knowledge development for the cultural heritage sector.
• Rijksakademie AmsterdamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner for 30th anniversary activities including workshop tours of Rijksakademie workshops in February 2025.
• Rijksmuseum TwentheminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host venue for Plastics Revisited workshop in March 2025 as part of SBMK's anniversary activities.
• Museum de BasteiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host venue for SBMK platform event on conflicting value systems in April 2025 in Nijmegen.
• Depot Museum Boijmans Van BeuningenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host venue for SBMK introduction day in May 2025 in Rotterdam.
• Fomu AntwerpenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner for Project Photography Extended day in June 2025, collaborating on photography conservation knowledge.
• Museum van Bommel van DamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host venue for Kunstenaarsarchieven Revisited event in September 2025.
• Van AbbemuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host venue for Photography Workshop Revisited in October 2025.
• Centraal Museum UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host venue for the 30th anniversary celebration day and coordinator farewell event in December 2025.
• Kröller-Müller MuseumfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993Initiated the founding working group in 1993 that led to SBMK's establishment. As a founding partner, Kröller-Müller Museum recognized the need for conservation criteria for non-traditional objects in modern art and brought together art museums for collaborative research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SRAL (Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg): A Dutch foundation focused on the research and restoration of artworks, including contemporary works. SRAL operates with a similar foundation model and serves comparable Dutch museum and collection stakeholders.
• Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE): The Dutch national Cultural Heritage Agency and a current collaborative partner of SBMK. RCE operates in an overlapping mandate around cultural heritage preservation, knowledge development, and standards for the Dutch sector.
• Netherlands Institute for Conservation, Art and Science (NICAS): A Dutch research partnership focused on conservation science, art history, and material research. NICAS addresses overlapping questions on material-technical research for artworks that SBMK approaches from the practitioner/curator side.
• INCCA (International Network for the Conservation of Contemporary Art): An international professional network dedicated specifically to the conservation of contemporary art, the exact niche SBMK serves at the Dutch national level. Both organize knowledge exchange, working groups, and research on preservation of non-traditional contemporary artworks.

Others

• Nederlandse Museumvereniging: The Dutch Museum Association representing museums across the Netherlands. While focused on advocacy and policy rather than conservation specifically, it serves many of the same Dutch museum partners that SBMK engages with.

Broad incumbents

• ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property): An intergovernmental organization dedicated to conservation of cultural heritage worldwide. ICCROM addresses overlapping themes of capacity-building, research, and standards that SBMK pursues for the Dutch contemporary-art sector.
• IIC (International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works): An international membership organization advancing conservation practice through publications, conferences, and awards. IIC operates at a global scale on the same professional knowledge domain SBMK serves nationally.
• Getty Conservation Institute: A major US-based institution conducting research, training, and publications in cultural heritage conservation. GCI operates at much larger scale but works on overlapping material-technical and conservation science questions relevant to SBMK's mission.
• E.C.C.O. (European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers' Organisations): The European umbrella body for conservator-restorer professions. E.C.C.O. operates at a continental level on professional standards, ethics, and competency frameworks that intersect with SBMK's 'good practice' mission.
• ICOM-CC (International Council of Museums - Committee for Conservation): The ICOM committee dedicated to conservation theory, practice, and ethics across all museum disciplines. It is a globally recognized forum covering the same material-technical and ethical research questions SBMK addresses for contemporary art.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichting-behoud-moderne-kunst-sbmk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SBMK