Time Lines at Schiphol

But there’s more to this exhibition that meets the eye. While travellers rush about, wait and make their way to the next destination, this art project gradually changes and develops. Sometimes, you may even get to see an artist in action.

Schiphol, STRAAT Museum and 5 diverse artists are collaborating on Time Lines to bring more colour to Jan Dellaertplein, the area just outside Schiphol Plaza. You can see the artists’ work on 690 metres of construction barriers and in the container functioning as a pop-up studio right in front of the terminal.

From time to time, an artist will be present in the studio (the Layover Point), creating new art or modifying existing pieces. What they make will be added to the collection of panels surrounding the construction site. This is a project that grows over time. Travellers and staff who pass through every day will see the work changing, but never fully completed. Time therefore becomes not just something you measure, but something that unfolds before your eyes.

Each of the 5 international artists will be at the studio for a few days in the months indicated: Bianca Nemelc (July 2026), Jelmer Konjo (October 2026), Elouise Gillow (January 2027), Pref (March 2027) and Kevin Lido (June 2027). During that period, you may even be able to catch them in action. You can learn more about the artists at the Layover Point and on the STRAAT Museum website.

Because these artists work on their pieces over time, what you see is a process rather than a finished product. If you pause for second to look at what’s happening, you become part of a moment that would otherwise go unnoticed. This creates an interesting contrast in a place where so many people are hurrying, waiting and travelling on to their next destination.

Behind all the art is a building site. We’re working hard to make sure Schiphol is a high-quality airport that is ready for the future. Improving the bus station in front of the terminal is one of the projects we’re tackling right now. When it’s finished at the end of 2027, you’ll be able to enjoy a spacious and attractive bus station with a better connection to Schiphol’s train station. In the meantime, there’ll be various construction works going on at this location. The Time Lines exhibition encloses the building site at Jan Dellaertplein, making it much more pleasing on the eye for the 485,500 people who come here every week.

Schiphol has a long history of displaying works of art at the airport. And it’s never random. Art is functional, helping you to orient yourself in a large and often busy environment. But art also creates meaning and encourages reflection. This is especially true of locations where you need to wait a while, like a bus stop or taxi stand. Right there, in those moments between arrival and departure, there is room to pause and think. Time Lines asks us to reflect on the interconnection of all the individual timelines of the people who pass through the area each day. Everyone on the move, each with their own destination, yet all part of the same continuous flow.