Marres, House for Contemporary Culture

What Marres, House for Contemporary Culture does

Marres, House for Contemporary Culture, is a Dutch non-profit foundation (Stichting Marres, Huis voor Hedendaagse Cultuur) operating from a historic building at Capucijnenstraat 98 in central Maastricht. Founded around 1998–2000 and holding ANBI (Public Benefit Organisation) status since 2012, the institution presents rotating contemporary art exhibitions, public programs, and educational activities spanning all rooms and floors of the building. It serves a diverse audience including general art visitors, families (with free admission for under-18s), educational institutions across primary through university levels, regional and international artists, and the local Maastricht community through free Friday evening programming and neighborhood events.

The core offering centers on a curated contemporary art program, complemented by a portfolio of sub-products: an audio-based art archive called De Onzichtbare Collectie (originally developed by Mediamatic Amsterdam in 2018 and assumed by Marres in 2019, nominated for the Nederlandse Museumprijs in 2019), sensory-focused workshops, the Wandelen met Marres walking tour collection, educational programs for schools and businesses, and the biennial Limburg Biënnale produced in partnership with Odapark in Venray. A secondary location at Zoetmanstraat 75 (De Rink) supports external workshops. Marres operates Marres Kitchen restaurant and a shop selling publications and merchandise, alongside a city garden described as the largest public garden in Maastricht. The technology stack is non-proprietary, relying on Z-tickets/Jewel Labs for ticketing, WooCommerce for online sales, CM.com for workshop bookings, and Spotify/Apple Podcasts for audio content distribution.

Revenue derives from a mix of ticket sales, restaurant and shop operations, recurring memberships (Friends of Marres, from €50/year), structural government subsidies from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Province of Limburg, and the Municipality of Maastricht, plus project-based funding from entities such as the Elisabeth Strouven Fonds. The institution is governed by a Supervisory Board and led by Director Valentijn Byvanck, with primary operations running Tuesday–Sunday.

Name

Marres, House for Contemporary Culture

Legal name

Stichting Marres, Huis voor Hedendaagse Cultuur

Website

https://marres.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marres is a non-profit contemporary art institution in Maastricht, Netherlands, presenting rotating exhibitions, public programs, and educational workshops from a historic building with the city's largest public garden. Revenue derives from ticket sales, restaurant operations, memberships, and Dutch government subsidies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Museum and Cultural Center

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (71211), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Cultural education programs
• Museum and gallery operations
• Public arts programming
• Artist residency workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Maastricht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Admission fees for exhibitions and special programs. Free entry for children under 18 and on Friday evenings from 17:00.
2. Restaurant Operations (Marres Kitchen): Full-service restaurant with garden, open Tuesday to Sunday 18:00-22:00, serving food and beverages.
3. Shop Sales: Sale of publications, books, and merchandise including exhibition catalogs and art books.
4. Membership Program (Vrienden van Marres): Annual membership starting at €50 per year offering free exhibition access and other benefits.
5. Government Subsidies: Structural support from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Province of Limburg, and Municipality of Maastricht.
6. Project Funding: Project-based support from organizations such as Elisabeth Strouven Fonds for public programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marres operates a historic building in central Maastricht as a contemporary art venue, presenting rotating exhibitions across all floors, public programs (including free Friday evening events), and educational workshops for schools, youth, and businesses. The institution also runs Marres Kitchen (a full-service restaurant), a public city garden with audio walking tours, a retail shop for publications, and the Limburg Biënnale in partnership with Odapark. It is supported structurally by Dutch government ministries and operates an innovative audio-based art collection called De Onzichtbare Collectie.

Product overview

Marres, House for Contemporary Culture is a cultural institution in Maastricht that operates as a single unified offering centered on contemporary art exhibitions and cultural programming. The institution offers a rotating program of exhibitions spanning all rooms and floors of a historic building, complemented by educational programs for schools and businesses, public workshops and activities, a city garden, an on-site restaurant (Marres Kitchen), a shop, and specialized projects including 'De Onzichtbare Collectie' (an audio-based art collection/podcast) and 'Wandelen met Marres' (guided walking tours). The Limburg Biënnale is a recurring biennial exhibition held in partnership with Odapark in Venray.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tentoonstellingen (Exhibitions) Rotating contemporary art exhibitions held throughout the historic building, featuring both established and emerging artists from the Netherlands and internationally.
• De Onzichtbare Collectie (The Invisible Collection) Audio-based art collection and podcast featuring stories from people about their favorite artworks, originally developed for visually impaired visitors and expanded to include narratives from diverse ages and backgrounds.
• Wandelen met Marres (Walking with Marres) Collection of six different walking tours created in collaboration with artists, available year-round with stories accessible via QR codes in the city garden.
• Educatieprogramma (Education Program) Educational programs for schools and businesses offering unique cultural and art education experiences, including specialized workshops for primary, secondary, and higher education (MBO, HBO, WO).
• Workshops & Activiteiten (Workshops & Activities) Sensory-focused workshops and activities designed to help visitors experience contemporary art through training their senses and discovering their environment in new ways.
• Marres Kitchen Full-service restaurant with garden, open Tuesday to Sunday 18:00-22:00, serving coffee, house-made refreshments, and mezze.
• Limburg Biënnale Biennial group exhibition featuring approximately 350 works from both professional and amateur artists, held in partnership with Odapark in Venray.
• Shop (Publications and Merchandise) Retail shop selling publications, books, and merchandise related to exhibitions and the institution, including exhibition catalogs and art books such as Vultures & Fireflies (€39.95).

Quantifiable outcome

• De Onzichtbare Collectie was nominated for the Nederlandse Museumprijs (Dutch Museum Prize) in 2019

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Studium Generale, Maastricht UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborated on book launch event for Vultures & Fireflies with experts discussing urban planning, social participation, art and activism, and Mexican politics.
• HeAart Ma'at, MUMC+, CARIM, PulsedayminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partners for Valentine's Day special event combining art and science programming.
• WORM, RotterdamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Cultural partner collaborating on educational programs including De Onzichtbare Collectie workshops.
• Cultuurmakers, MaastrichtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Local cultural partner in Maastricht for educational programming and De Onzichtbare Collectie workshops.
• Odapark, VenraycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Limburg Biënnale, a major regional art biennial featuring approximately 350 works from professional and amateur artists. Both Marres and Odapark serve as exhibition venues for this collaborative exhibition.
• Elisabeth Strouven FondscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenerous supporter of the public program for the Limburg Biënnale, providing funding for community programming and events.
• Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry providing structural funding support to Marres as part of Dutch cultural policy.
• Province of Limburg (Provincie Limburg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government providing structural funding support to cultural institutions in Limburg.
• Municipality of Maastricht (Gemeente Maastricht)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government providing structural funding support and local cultural policy alignment.
• Club LamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeminist collective that curated a space at Odapark during the Limburg Biënnale. Club Lam brings together theater, film, text, visual art and other disciplines.
• No Man's Art GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt gallery involved in artist residencies including Alejandro Galván's Amsterdam residency prior to the Vultures & Fireflies exhibition at Marres.

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bonnefanten Museum Maastricht: Bonnefanten is a contemporary and modern art museum located in Maastricht, serving the same city and regional audience as Marres. Both institutions operate as Dutch cultural venues with ANBI status and rely on overlapping subsidy pools and visitor catchment.
• TENT: TENT is a contemporary art center in Rotterdam that focuses on experimental exhibitions, public programs, and community engagement. Similar in scale and contemporary art programming model to Marres.
• De Hallen Haarlem: De Hallen Haarlem is a mid-sized Dutch contemporary art museum with rotating exhibitions and educational programs. Closely comparable to Marres in scale, mission, and Dutch cultural policy positioning.
• Kunstinstituut Melly (formerly Witte de With): Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam is a contemporary art institution focused on experimental exhibitions, public programming, and educational activities. It is closely comparable to Marres in mission, programming style, and Dutch contemporary art positioning.
• Kröller-Müller Museum: Kröller-Müller Museum is a Dutch art museum with a major sculpture garden, comparable to Marres in combining art exhibitions with a distinctive outdoor/garden experience. ANBI-supported and reliant on government funding.
• Van Abbemuseum: Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven is a mid-sized Dutch contemporary art museum with a similar programming model of rotating exhibitions, educational outreach, and government-subsidized operations. Comparable in scale, governance structure, and ANBI status to Marres.
• Cobra Museum Amstelveen: Cobra Museum is a Dutch mid-sized art museum with a thematic focus, comparable to Marres in scale, governance structure, and reliance on public funding and educational programming.
• Vleeshal Centre for Contemporary Art: Vleeshal is a contemporary art institution in Middelburg that focuses on exhibitions and public programming. Comparable to Marres in its mission-driven, smaller-scale, ANBI-supported operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: Stedelijk Museum is a major Dutch modern and contemporary art museum with a much larger scale and broader collection. It represents the larger-end incumbent in the Dutch contemporary art space against which Marres competes for visitors and artists.
• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen: Boijmans Van Beuningen is a major Rotterdam art museum with a much larger collection and audience than Marres. It operates in the same Dutch art ecosystem and competes for the same cultural tourism and government funding pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/1U5fYaXklM6cXcfH0ESuV6
• Instagraminstagram.com/marres_maastricht
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marres-maastricht

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Marres, House for Contemporary Culture