A museum gallery can sometimes feel like a conversation across centuries.

At the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, the exhibition Galleria brings together twelve small exhibitions, each with its own atmosphere and story. Memories of Syrian archaeologists, Nubian robes, Egyptian temple fragments, Roman fibulas, Moroccan jewellery and Greek pottery are interwoven with contemporary artworks, creating a colourful and varied encounter with the ancient world.

Meyvaert’s modular showcases form part of this changing setting. In 2018, Meyvaert delivered 45 modular freestanding cases and three table cases to the museum. Today, these showcases continue to serve new temporary exhibitions such as Galleria, adapting to different objects, narratives and layouts over time.

Their continued use reflects one of the strengths of modular museum showcases: they can support many different stories without needing to be replaced each time the exhibition changes. 

Galleria is on view at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden from 11 June to 1 November 2026.