1987

In the year Amsterdam was the cultural capital of Europe, six prominent Dutch art and antique dealers founded PAN Amsterdam. PAN stands for Pictura Antiquairs Nationaal and is the national counterpart to the Antiquairs International & Pictura Fine Art Fair—later TEFAF in Maastricht—which was organized by the same team. The founders, Jan and Josephine J. Dirven, Evert Douwes Sr, Rob Noortman†, Jacob Stodel† , J. Vecht† and Clemens van der Ven, created a dynamic event in a modern and efficient building—the RAI Hollandhal. 83 Dutch dealers took part. Modern art was represented too. Former KLM President, Sergio Orlandini became chairman of the Board of Trustees. Seven Amsterdam museums in the De Museade foundation were represented in the fair’s Museumplein. Mayor Ed van Thijn opened the first PAN Amsterdam, which attracted 10,894 visitors.

1988

Under the motto ‘Ten days of fine art from yesterday and today’ the second fair took place in RAI’s modern Amstelhal. There were 73 exhibitors. Around 9,000 people visited PAN Amsterdam, which was opened by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Culture, Elco Brinkman.

1989

Until 1992 PAN Amsterdam was held in the RAI Hollandhal. 65 dealers took part. By now, art and antique enthusiasts had no trouble finding their way to the fair. The number of visitors rose to 17,000. The Chinese ambassador to the Netherlands performed the opening.

1990

The number of exhibitors increased to 80. During PAN Amsterdam the RAI organized the Restoration fair in the neighbouring Forum Hall, a biennial international trade fair for conservation and restoration techniques. PAN Amsterdam was opened by Sergio Orlandini, President of the Board of Trustees, and attracted 19,997 visitors.

1991

The fifth anniversary of the fair had 83 art and antique dealers and attracted 16,304 visitors. It was opened by Professor Henk van Os Director of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

1992

By then PAN Amsterdam had developed into a well-established fair of a high standard with good turnover and 25,809 visitors, an increase of around 63% over 1991. In addition to the 85 art and antique dealers, four top Dutch interior designers were invited to show how art can be shown to its best advantage in a modern interior. At the opening of PAN by cabaret artist Freek de Jonge, Gerti Bierenbroodspot unveiled an enormous decorated canvas that she had made for the ‘Themes & Variations’ performance by the Dutch National Ballet.

1993

The Oude Kunst- en Antiekbeurs Delft merged with PAN Amsterdam, creating the most important national art and antiques fair. HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands acted as patron. The fair now had 104 Dutch and two Belgian exhibitors and from then on was held in the new and larger RAI Parkhal. The increase in the size, variety and quality was well received by the public, as the 29,491 visitors proved. The exhibition of portraits by Paul Citroen and the 10 x 2.5 m ceramic relief by Karel Appel attracted extra attention. Mayor Schelto Patijn opened the fair.

1994

In addition to the existing Board of Trustees a Management Foundation was set up to monitor the quality of the works offered at PAN Amsterdam. Sergio Orlandini became chairman and Florus Mouthaan succeeded him as President of the Board of Trustees. The ‘Rembrandt the etcher’ exhibition showed forty highlights from the collection in the Rembrandt House Museum at the fair. The last Restoration Fair took place in the Delta and Randstadhal. PAN attracted 28,027 visitors.

1995

PAN Amsterdam provided a special retrospective of forty works—mostly from private collections—by the romantic painter Andreas Schelfhout. In addition a painting by Jan Steen, ‘As the old sung’, from the Georgian State Museum of Art in Tblisi, received a great deal of attention. The work was in the Netherlands for restoration that was financed by Dutch businesses and institutions. Number of visitors: 26,899.

1996

PAN Amsterdam’s tenth anniversary and it was given a new house style. Jaap van Zweden, concert master of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra unveiled the new logo after a concert at the fair. The 104 PAN exhibitors, five of whom were new from Belgium, attracted 27,229 visitors. New to the fair was an educational Youth Pavilion that got youngsters between eight and eighteen acquainted with art and antiques in a light-hearted manner. In the ‘Quality of Life’ Pavilion visitors were able to buy luxury products, from vintage wines and fine cigars to luxury yachts.

1997

From that year on the fair opened on Saturday instead of Friday. In addition to what was on offer by the 92 Dutch and ten Belgian exhibitors, PAN Amsterdam put on a special exhibition of work by five young French artists from the collection of the Foundation Cartier pour l’art contemporain. For the first time there was a programme of lectures. Number of visitors: 25,402.

1998

PAN Amsterdam showed the largest collection of art and antiques from the culture of the Low Countries. In order to give this greater emphasis it was subtitled ‘Art and Antiques Fair of the Low Countries’. The fair came up with a world first: a ‘new’ Rembrandt. ‘Old man with Turban’ was shown to the large audience for the first time after research by the Rembrandt Research Project. ‘Collectors Day’ was organized for prospective collectors, with a lecture, a conducted tour and advice on purchasing. Chef Joop Braakhekke gave a culinary presentation entitled ‘Joop cooks in the PAN!’ The number of visitors rose to 28,470.

1999

In addition to 111 stands of art and antiques, this year PAN Amsterdam put on two exhibitions: a selection of contemporary works from the modern art collection of Peter Stuyvesant and ‘Swatch, Top Items from the House Collection’, a series of artistic watches in limited editions. Number of visitors: 29,274.

2000

The new millennium began successfully with no fewer than 32,242 visitors. As ever, the fair was the meeting point for new and experienced collectors alike. A special presentation was arranged at the fair: ‘A Treasure House from the Past: Top Items from the Museum of Antiquities in Leiden’.

2001

The theme of the fifteenth anniversary was photography, represented at the fair for the first time. In order to celebrate this there was a special exhibition of photographs never seen before from the famous Caldic Collection. Of the 112 exhibitors seven were new, three of whom were Belgian and two were specialists in photography. The fair itself was given a modern makeover by fair architect Tom Postma and Stabilo, stand builders since 1987. The sparkling fashion show on the floor of the fair of the winter collection of Frans Molenaar was exceptional. The fair attracted 26,921 visitors.

2002

In association with Residence magazine, PAN Amsterdam organized a special jewellery day with a lecture about the history of jewellery. The Dutch car manufacturer showed the oldest ‘Spijker’ at the fair and its very latest model too. The number of visitors rose by almost 12% to 30,142.

2003

For the first time PAN Amsterdam took place in December. It was linked to the theme ‘The Art of Dining’. Exhibitors assembled hundreds of paintings and objects that had to do with dining. An Art Event for PAN visitors was organized in collaboration with the five star Hotel Okura. Fifteen of the 115 exhibitors were new. Number of visitors: 29,528.

2004

For the first time exhibitors also showed 19th-century neo-styles, which have an entirely individual character and artistic merit. The applied art from this period was becoming increasingly popular and PAN Amsterdam responded to this trend. Photography was the theme of the special presentation, ‘The Nature of Paul Huf’, with signed photographs from his estate. An informal evening was organized for young collectors to get them acquainted with PAN Amsterdam. Among the 350 present were members of Sotheby’s New Collectors and the Titus Association. The number of visitors was 29,975.

2005

PAN Amsterdam was held in November again. The special evening for young collectors continued with a new educational slant: young visitors to PAN gave conducted tours of the fairs. In addition to the 99 Dutch exhibitors thirteen Belgian and German dealers took part. As a prelude to Rembrandt Year 2006, in collaboration with the Six Collection, the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdams Historisch Museum, the fair showed a never before seen series of drawings by Rembrandt, an original etching plate and etchings. The number of visitors increased to 31,610.

2006

PAN Amsterdam was 20 years old! The fair got a new fresh design and celebrated its anniversary with a number of special activities. On Sunday afternoon there was a glittering fashion show of the winter collection of the well-known Amsterdam couturier Ronald Kolk. And on the Thursday there was a private evening opening with Art Meetings as the theme. The fair closed after welcoming almost 35,500 visitors, approximately 12.5% more than the year before and an absolute record. In twenty years almost half a million people have visited the fair.

2007

The ‘makeover’ that was successfully started in 2006 was continued in 2007. PAN now has a contemporary feel with lively, modern colours and materials. The quality of the modern and contemporary art on offer was boosted by six leading galleries. For three years Van Lanschot Bankiers has been the fair’s chief sponsor. Fred Brom of Steltman Juweliers and Mark Slegers of Contempo Galerie joined PAN Amsterdam’s Supervisory Board. For the first time the PAN Academie organized a compact course, in association with the Vrije Academie, for art lovers who already have a collection, or who are considering buying art. The Fair attracted a record number of 36,277 visitors. A painting by Jan Steen with an asking price of €5 million was sold; this was the highest price ever paid at the fair.

2008

PAN Amsterdam has a new house style in keeping with the modern presentation and personality of the fair. A new feature at this year’s fair is a Design Pavilion in which six specialists will show objects and furniture by well-known international designers of the 20th century. The fair now covers 13,000 m². Sergio Orlandini is standing down as Chairman of the Trustees of the PAN Amsterdam Foundation. Willem van Roijen takes over from him, and Joop van Caldenborgh succeeds Florus Mouthaan as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. PAN attracted 35,450 visitors. Art Encounters, the closed evening for new collectors, takes place for the fifth year running.

2009

PAN Amsterdam attracted a record number of 41,960 visitors. This is 18.4% up on 2008. At 137 in all, the number of exhibitors at the fair was also higher than ever. There were 23 new exhibitors this year. For the first time four art and antique dealers from other countries took part along with seven Belgian exhibitors. The floor space for PAN Amsterdam’s Design Pavilion was increased to 141.75 m², 17% larger than in 2008.

2010

In 2010 the Design Pavilion was integrated into the fair and six leading design galleries presented a cross-section of twentieth-century vintage design in furniture and objects. Around PAN gave visitors the opportunity to look more closely at a number of interesting objects and enhance their knowledge under the guidance of an artist. New is AVRO’s Art Hour, where a number of art and antique dealers talked about one of their favourite works on their stands, among them experts from the TV programme Tussen Kunst & Kitsch. PAN attracted 46,129 visitors, almost 10% more than the year before. This is more than any other national art and antiques fair in Europe.

2011

2011 saw the 25th Anniversary of PAN Amsterdam, the art, antiques and design fair of today. The silver anniversary year was celebrated with a range of special events, including a glittering display of twenty-five tiaras and coronets from different collections brought together by Fred Brom, a member of the PAN Amsterdam board. The earliest was made in Egypt in the seventeenth century BC and the most recent in 2010. ‘A Closer Look at PAN’ gave visitors the opportunity to tour the fair under the expert guidance of a member of the vetting committee. PAN Amsterdam also introduced an amazing app for iPhones with all sorts of information about the fair. A particularly ingenious feature let users see exactly how the art, antiques and objects at PAN would look in their own homes. Another digital initiative – ‘PAN & I.K.’ – presented super-short instant lessons in art and art history by way of the website and social media. The fair attracted 51,595 visitors.

2012

Alongside the 125 exhibitors, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, I Amsterdam, Addy van den Krommenacker and Jan des Bouvrie offered visitors to PAN Amsterdam plenty of inspiration during the twenty-sixth fair. Friso Lammertse, curator and compiler of the exhibition The Road to Van Eyck at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, made a selection of objects from the fair in which he saw the influence of Jan van Eyck (c. 1400-1441). The objects were not just old paintings, hence the name The Road after Van Eyck. Following the successful launch of the PAN app for the iPhone in 2011, the app was made available for Android phones. The organization looked back on a busy, well-attended event where the majority of the exhibitors achieved good results, despite the economic climate. PAN Amsterdam 2012 was visited by 46,598 people.

2013

The twenty-seventh PAN Amsterdam attracted 125 exhibitors, including 21 new ones. For the first time there was a Tribal Art Pavilion with four specialist exhibitors. The Automobile by Studio Job scoop generated a lot of media attention. Photographer Pieter Henket also chose PAN as a platform to present his latest book, Stars to the Sun. The interior design magazine Residence and the Royal Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (Koningklijke VHOK) had a successful Meet the Masters programme. After a short master class in the stand shared by Residence and the Koninklijke VHOK, decorated by interior designer Thijs Murre, visitors were taken around the fair by an interior designer or an artist. Following an exhibition she staged at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen as guest curator, Beatrice von Bormann made a selection of objects at the fair in which she saw the influence of the Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka (1886 -1980). As expected the number of visitors was stable at 46,322. Over 65% of the exhibitors said they had better sales than last year, 25% of the exhibitors had sales similar to last year and 10% of the exhibitors sold less. These results are encouraging in terms of the recovery of the art market in the Netherlands.

2014

More than 43,000 art lovers visited the twenty-eighth PAN Amsterdam. The atmosphere at the fair was relaxed—a good climate for the dealers to do business in. Over 55% of the exhibitors sold more than in the previous year; 24% the same and 20% less. These results were an indication of the general willingness in the market to buy art, making PAN Amsterdam an important barometer for the Dutch art trade. Better sales of antique furniture were a striking feature in 2014. As in 2013, there was a great demand for photography and other modern and contemporary art, silver and Japanese prints. The number of promising young dealers who took part for the first time was also evident. The new evening opening on Tuesday proved very popular with visitors and dealers alike.

2015

Roberto Payer was appointed as the new Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PAN Amsterdam, the art, antiques and design fair. A hotelier of Italian descent, he has lived in the Netherlands for years. He took over from Joop van Caldenborgh, who had been in this post for seven years. The fair attracted over 40,000 visitors. A survey conducted during the fair revealed a promising upward trend in sales. Nearly 60% of the dealers and gallerists exhibiting at PAN Amsterdam said they were selling more than in 2014. One third reported that their results were much better than the previous year. On the other hand some 20% of exhibitors had so far done less business than during last year's PAN Amsterdam. Photography, prints, contemporary jewellery and vintage design were particularly sought after, while more traditional disciplines such as antiques, silver and Delft pottery were also very popular.

2016

he thirtieth PAN Amsterdam attracted over 38,000 visitors. The fair also welcomed asset managers Oyens & Van Eeghen, part of Delen Group, as the new lead sponsor. This thirtieth PAN incorporated some major changes. Tom Postma Design produced a new design for the fair, with a prominent promenade, two mirrored central aisles and three bars. It gave this art, antiques and design event new flair. Working on the principle of ‘eclectic living, eclectic collecting’, exhibitors at PAN were given new locations on the floorplan. As was the case during the fair's early years, the different disciplines were spread out and mixed together. This challenged visitors to establish new connections and at the same time generated some surprises thanks to the diversity of artworks. The PAN Podium project was launched; a range of cultural organizations provided an interactive programme in a specially reserved area in the fair. In association with FOAM, a competition was staged for the campaign image. Photographer Eva Roovers won.

2017

Positive feedback from exhibitors was a highlight of PAN Amsterdam number 31. Most PAN exhibitors reported that sales were good to better than the year before. This was an indication that the Dutch economy was flourishing. Most sales were for items costing between €5,000 and €50,000. The figures for the high end - objects priced at between €100,000 and €1,500,000 - were also impressive. For the first time the fair remained open until 9 p.m. on weekday evenings, with success. The changes introduced in 2016 in the form of the new fair design and the new exhibitor layout were retained and refined. The Hotel Panorama exhibition was a new feature. It was compiled by exhibition maker Piet de Jonge in association with Koen Steger and Neal Groot, who designed the decor for the Zomergasten 2017 series of television programmes. Artworks from all periods and of all styles from a large number of PAN exhibitors were brought together in a hotel lobby. The PAN Podium initiative was continued. It was a great success thanks, for example, to a programme organized by the Rembrandt Society, presentations from the Rijksmuseum and Museum Amsterdam, and a performance by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra In association with FOAM, a competition was once again staged for the campaign image. Photographer Koen Hauser was given the commission. Lead sponsor Oyens & Van Eeghen actively participated in the fair for the first time, with a stand designed by Anne-Sophie Delen.

2018

The bond with the city of Amsterdam was at the heart of the 32nd PAN Amsterdam fair in 2018. The fair invited photographer Erwin Olaf to make eight new portraits. The subjects were Amsterdammers at city locations with artworks shown by PAN exhibitors. Olaf’s photographs reflected the fair’s versatility. Working with Tom Postma Design, Olaf designed an exhibition at the fair. This initiative was launched during PAN 2017, where the photographs were displayed next to the artworks. A selection of the images was used for the marketing campaign. A substantial majority of PAN exhibitors were positive about the 2018 fair. Sales were generally the same to slightly better than the year before. Confidence in the Dutch market, which has been measured for a number of years, continued to increase. One of the fair’s highlights was the recently discovered portrait of Elisabeth Sophia Maria Cavalini (1873-1933) painted in 1901 by Piet Mondrian (1872-1944). The work, which was exhibited byKunsthandel E.J. Wisselingh & Co, was sold on the first day. This underlined the ongoing importance of the fair in the Netherlands.There was also a slight increase in the number of visitors, to over 40,000.PAN Podium developed into a permanent feature at the fair. The theme of the programme was ‘From Collector to Museum’ and it involved thirteenparticipants including the Rembrandt Society, Design Museum Den Bosch, KVHOK, RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History, Kasteel HEX, Museum Singer Laren, Quote Magazine, Young Collectors Circle and Museumtijdschrift. Lead sponsor Oyens & Van Eeghen actively participated in the fair for the second time, with a stand designed and fitted out by Anne-Sophie Delen.