Museum Honors Artist with 800-Pound Peanut Butter Installation

Peanut butter is usually a pantry item rather than an art medium.

The Depot of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam has showcased a 270-square-foot hexagon of smooth peanut butter on the floor as a tribute to Wim T. Schippers, who passed away last month at 83. The installation allows visitors to trace its aromatic path from the entrance atrium to the third-floor gallery, according to acting director Sandra Kisters.

A celebrated cultural figure in the Netherlands, Schippers was known for provocative television shows, poetry, music, and even a play performed by German shepherds. He died at 83 last month.

The installation followed Schippers’ specifications for “Pindakaasvloer” (“Peanut Butter Floor”): 3.2 pounds of smooth peanut butter per square foot, applied evenly. Museum staff used taping knives to spread donated Calvé peanut butter, totaling roughly 860 standard 16-ounce jars.

Visitors with peanut allergies are advised to avoid the exhibit, though serious reactions are unlikely. Schippers first imagined this concept in the 1960s, but it debuted in 1989 and was later acquired by the museum for 50,010 euros. Former director Sjarel Ex noted it consistently drew crowds, especially children fascinated by the vast quantities.

Ex described the work as “both a playful parody of art and an invitation to rethink artistic expression,” adding, “Wim thrived on scandals and challenging his audience.”

Schippers was buried in a secluded wooded area east of Amsterdam, without a gravestone. Friends lowered his body into the grave during a live saxophone performance of a Thelonious Monk melody, per Titus Muizelaar, founder of the Wim T. Schippers Foundation established in 2024.

Muizelaar recalled that while “Peanut Butter Floor” was Schippers’ most famous work, he personally disliked the paste. In a cafeteria gesture, the museum now serves peanut butter sandwiches this summer.”

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