Amsterdam’s Van Gogh museum is caught up in a dispute with the Dutch government which could lead to its closure, director Emilie Gordenker has told the New York Times in an interview.

The museum, which attracts some 1.8 million visitors a year, will not be able to finance large scale renovations without state support, Gordenker told the paper.

“If this situation continues, it will become dangerous for the art and dangerous for our visitors,” Gordenker said. “This is the last thing we want — but if it comes to that, we will have to close the building.”

The Amsterdam museum was established after engineer V.W. van Gogh, a nephew of the artist, transferred the family’s collection to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation. In return, the Dutch state promised to build and maintain a museum so the works would be permanently preserved and publicly accessible.

Since opening in 1973, the museum has become one of the most visited in the world, welcoming almost 57 million people in total. It generates about 85% of its income independently.

But after more than 50 years of heavy use, the buildings no longer meet modern standards for sustainability, safety and climate control, Gordenker said. In addition, many technical installations are outdated and difficult to maintain.

A three-year renovation programme is due to start in 2028 and will cost €104 million.

The museum has pledged to cover lost income during partial closures and to use its reserves, but says a guaranteed state contribution of €11 million a year is needed to fund the work and ensure future maintenance.

The government is offering €8.5 million, leaving a shortfall of €2.5 million annually. The ministry says the museum should cover the funding shortfall itself.

The Vincent van Gogh Foundation, owner of the collection, said it was “deeply concerned” about the risk to public access. “V.W. van Gogh made an agreement with the Dutch state in 1962 and made his private collection available to the public domain. In return, the state must fulfill its statutory obligations,” the foundation said in a statement.

The museum, home to more than 200 paintings and nearly 500 drawings by Vincent van Gogh, has been negotiating with the culture ministry for two years.  It has now filed a legal complaint against the state that is likely to lead to a court hearing in the next several months, the museum said in a statement.

The outgoing Dutch government adopted a tough line on arts spending and had planned to increase value added tax on museum visits from 9% to 21%.