Rotterdam Museum's Peanut Butter Floor: A Sticky Tribute to Wim T. Schippers

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam paid tribute to the late Dutch conceptual artist Wim T. Schippers by reinstalling his most famous work, the Pindakaasvloer (Peanut Butter Floor). The work was recreated at the museum's Depot — the world's first publicly accessible art storage facility — and is on view from July 9 through September 6, 2026 in the Netherlands .

The Tribute: A Floor Covered in Peanut Butter

The tribute consists of 390 kilograms (roughly 860 pounds) of smooth Calvé peanut butter, enough for about 15,000 sandwiches . The peanut butter was donated by Calvé, a brand Schippers specifically preferred "because it spreads so nicely" . The material was spread into a hexagon measuring 25 square meters .

Following the Artist's Exact Instructions

The work was executed precisely according to Schippers' original 1969 specifications :

• Medium: Smooth (creamy) peanut butter only — no pieces or crunchy varieties
• Thickness: Exactly 2 centimeters
• Application: A team of museum-appointed "peanut butter plasterers" applied the peanut butter on July 2 and 3, 2026, the same team that executed the work in 2011

Conceptual Nature: Instructions, Not a Preserved Object

The Pindakaasvloer belongs to Schippers' Floor Covering Series, which he began in 1962 . The artwork exists not as a permanent, preserved object but as a set of re-executable instructions — a classic conceptual artwork recreated anew each time it is shown . It was originally conceived in 1962 and first realized in 1969 at Gallery Mickery in Loenersloot, the Netherlands . The work was acquired by Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in 2010 . A previous 2011 iteration at the same museum was famously damaged by visitors multiple times, an event that only reinforced the work's ephemeral, instruction-based nature .

Wim T. Schippers: Artist and Children's TV Voice

Schippers (born July 1, 1942, in Groningen) died in Amsterdam on June 10, 2026, at age 83 . Beyond his visual art, he was an absurdist television maker, writer, actor, and voice actor. He was best known to the general Dutch public as the voice of Ernie (and also Kermit the Frog) on Sesamstraat, the Dutch adaptation of Sesame Street, a role he played from 1976 onward . He also created influential absurdist TV programs such as De lachende scheerkwast, Van Oekel's Discohoek, and De Fred Haché Show . The museum's obituary noted his characteristically matter-of-fact farewell: "Dead. Nothing to be done about it" .