Framing the Point of View Exhibition: Youth, Gender, and Diversity at the Rijksmuseum

This article examines museums' shift away from traditional custodial roles to become institutions of social dialogue and transformation, with a particular focus on their efforts to engage younger audiences through participatory and socially relevant strategies. Using the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam as a case study, the article explores the museum's diversity strategies and development of the Point of View exhibition, which addressed gender and representation while also involving young people as co-creators. Drawing on visitor data and qualitative insights around inclusive public spaces, as well as on critical museology and international cultural policies, the study assesses the exhibition as a paradigmatic example within the museum's broader institutional policies. The findings highlight both the success of these initiatives, demonstrating how diverisity policies and younger audiences are interconnected, and the potential of museums to act as agents of inclusion and cultural change, while also acknowledging the structural and perceptual challenges that remain.