The slogan “Meet the Icons of Modern Art” needs to be scraped off the glass wall of the Stedelijk, Amsterdam’s Museum of Modern Art. Because precisely who these icons of modern art are is very much the question. Who gets to decide? And who loses out? In 2019, as director Sarah Vos started shooting her documentary White Balls on Walls, more than 90 percent of the art at the Stedelijk was made by white men. That must change, the museum’s director Rein Wolfs believes. But it’s easier said than done—as becomes clear when Vos follows Wolfs and his team as they strive for greater diversity in the collection, as well as among their staff.
Note: The phrase ‘White Balls on Walls’ was coined by the art-world activist group Guerrilla Girls.
“Essential viewing not only for those who care about art and cultural institutions, but for anyone interested in the vital changes happening within contemporary society today.” —POV Magazine 
More Praise for WHITE BALLS ON WALLS:
“Entertaining, funny, insightful and exciting…an important contribution” —Filmkrant
“Capture[s] a massive, crucial, ongoing transformation with a surprisingly light touch.” —Alliance of Women Film Journalists
“Kudos to the Stedelijk for opening itself up to such firsthand scrutiny and to Vos for spotlighting such a vastly relevant topic in a way that’s both insightful and entertaining.” —Los Angeles Times
“A compassionate portrait of a complicated process” —Metropolis M
“A fascinating exploration of the minutiae of decision-making” —Moviepie
WHITE BALLS ON WALLS
A film by Sarah Vos • An Icarus Films Release • 2023
Netherlands • 90 min • In Dutch & English with English Subtitles
BKonthescene 