Sticky sweet tribute, why Dutch Art Museum covers gallery floor in 390kg of peanut butter

Visitors entering the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam are encountering a truly bizarre sensory experience. Exactly 390 kilograms of smooth peanut butter has been meticulously smeared across the gallery floor. Titled Pindakaasvloer (Peanut Butter Floor), the installation opened to the public on July 9 and is scheduled to run until September 6.

Smearing a masterpiece, 15,000 sandwiches worth of art

Transforming the gallery space into a giant open jar required intense manual labour. Two museum employees spent several days using drywall trowels to perfectly level 40 large tubs of the savoury spread. Spanning a 25-square-metre hexagon at a precise thickness of 0.8 inches (approximately two centimetres), the amount used is equivalent to roughly 15,000 sandwiches.

Calve, the famous Dutch food brand, donated the entire supply. Museum staff followed a strict, posthumous 20-point instruction manual drawn up by Schippers himself, which dictates that the product must be laid out “as boringly and monotonously as possible,” using this specific brand due to its easily spreadable texture.

Honouring a national icon

The nutty spectacle has been produced as a tribute to the legendary Dutch conceptual artist and non-conformist Wim T. Schippers, following his death on June 10 2026. Schippers held a unique place in Dutch culture, acting as the iconic voice of Ernie, Kermit the Frog, and Count von Count on the Netherlands’ version of Sesame Street. Beyond television, he was a dedicated Dadaist prankster who spent his career challenging the art world by shaving cactuses and placing giant sculptures of dog excrement in public spaces.

“Peanut butter floor still raises questions like, is this art?” noted Sandra Kisters, acting director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. “It is this sense of bewilderment that makes this piece so special.”

Severe allergy warnings and visitor mishaps

With the scent of roasted nuts drifting all the way down to the ticket counters three storeys below, the aroma dominates the experience. Staff are telling guests to simply “follow the smell” to find the room. Severe allergy warnings have been posted prominently at the entrance, advising vulnerable visitors to avoid the area.

History shows this sticky concept always invites chaos. Originally conceived in 1962, the museum purchased the permanent rights to the idea in 2011 for over €100,000. During a 1997 exhibition in Utrecht, school children “vandalised” the display by dropping bread and chocolate sprinkles onto it, a stunt Schippers actually praised. Conversely, during a later exhibition, distracted museum-goers accidentally stepped directly onto the surface, leading to ruined shoes and slippery wipe-outs.

Foodies looking to fully immerse themselves can visit the museum restaurant, which has temporarily added a classic version of the snack to the menu. Meanwhile, the gift shop is stocking souvenir jars so tourists can recreate the famous artwork at home.