A nursing home in Amsterdam is turning part of its space into an art gallery in October in an attempt to bring the community closer to its residents.

The Vreugdenhof in Buitenveldert has invited 10 guest curators, all aged 65 or over, to display 120 works of art including paintings, sculptures and photographs in its communal areas.

Marie-Jose de Bie, of Stichting Smaak which runs the facility, said part of the idea was to bring art to residents who were no longer physically capable of visiting a museum.

‘We anticipate that nursing homes will take on more facilities, such as a library and a children’s creche. It gives elderly people a sense of being part of society,’ she told Het Parool.

The exhibition is on the theme of identity, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the Vreugdenhof’s residents as well as the way identity changes with age: one of the guest curators has focused on sign language and how deafness affects the individual’s identity.

‘It’s important that they feel seen and heard in the nursing home and don’t have to hide their own identity away,’ said De Bie.

Last summer De Vreugdenhof was awarded a certificate by the Roze Loper organisation, which promotes tolerance and respect for the LGBT community.

The pop-up museum Identities is open to the public from October 2 to 31.