In the annual report, Oxenaar complains that the acquisition budget is ‘insufficient’ ‘for a museum of this quality’. At most, he can purchase two major works per year. ‘The continuity of the pristine and harmonious development of the collection, which is so characteristic of this museum’ is ‘seriously compromised’. Oxenaar wants a museum of international format, but fears that the ‘opportunities that arise […] can no longer be seized in a timely manner. That which cannot be acquired now will be far more costly later, when one has to fill the gaps, or simply no longer be available’.

Fortunately, there are many generous donors. Barbara Hepworth has already donated 7 works last year, but wants to add ‘a few small sculptures’ so that her work is optimally represented in the museum. Oxenaar is ‘extremely grateful to her for this new donation’. The German critic and art collector Albert Schulze-Vellinghausen has bequeathed Dying horse, an early work by Carel Visser, to the museum. The gift, according to a note that was included, should be regarded as ‘a small peace offering on his part for what the Germans have done to the Netherlands’.

Oxenaar acquires at least a drawing from many sculptors that exhibit in the museum. In this way the sub-collection that Hammacher began continues to grow. Occasionally a large sculpture can also be acquired from some exhibitors, such as the steel Pompadour by Anthony Caro. But while Hammacher acquired sculptures to give an idea of the development of sculptural art, Oxenaar purchases works from contemporary artists. For example, the work Column by André Volten is given a place in the sculpture garden this year. The bronze sculpture Avatar by Isamu Noguchi, which was acquired in 1966, is exchanged for the original pink Georgia marble version with a surcharge.

On the occasion of the 70^th birthday of sculptor Henry Moore, a European exhibition tour is organized in collaboration with various museums. Oxenaar arranges for the tour to start in Otterlo. The opening is celebrated extensively.

The exhibition The silence of movement focuses on ‘the silent game of the virtual movement’ in art and comprises optical and non-motorised kinetic objects.

Oxenaar prefers to purchase works directly from the artists, without the mediation of a gallery. This year he acquires Unstable Cube II (1968) from the American artist George Rickey, one of the founding fathers of kinetic art.

In the summer of 1969, a retrospective of Louise Nevelson is organized, the first in Europe. At the same time, six large sculptures by Kenneth Snelson are on display in the sculpture garden. ‘Snelson’s work belongs to the world of technology, Nevelson’s to the realm of the object trouvé.’

During the night of 3 to 4 December, a leak develops in the ceiling of the Van Gogh gallery. It turns out to be a leak in the heating system. Virtually all the rooms are immediately evacuated and the museum has to be closed almost completely. Only in the rooms behind the sculpture hall can a small part of the core collection be shown. Oxenaar is furious and points out that he already warned of this shortly after taking office: ‘After being warned in many ways […] of the extremely critical situation […] this year the acute danger transpired, which could have been avoided through earlier intervention.’

In early 1970, the ‘state of emergency’ is tackled. The plan is to realize a ‘new air conditioning system with all construction works’ before the start of the peak season, but that proves impossible. Research is required and it soon becomes clear that the museum has to be closed for a longer period of time. However, the final far-reaching renovation work is carried ‘over the summer’ and the building is fully open to the public again in March.

The collection of Marguerite Arp-Hagenbach, widow of the sculptor Jean Arp, contains mainly constructivist and concrete art, with Jean and Sophie Täuber-Arp as central figures. According to Oxenaar, she began collecting ‘where Mrs Kröller left off, whereby her collection gives an indication of ‘how it could have been in Otterlo and partly how it became’. The exhibition can be seen ‘as an almost self-evident continuation of the existing collection in the museum’. After the exhibition, Marguerite Arp-Hagenbach presents the museum with a copy of Soleil recerclé, the last woodcut that Jean Arp completed before his death in 1966.

Merely a restoration is no longer sufficient for Oxenaar; the museum is in need of renovation and expansion. ‘On the authority of the Trustees of the Kröller-Müller Foundation and the members of the Oversight Committee’, a building committee is appointed, with Cees van der Leeuw (chairman), Oxenaar, Hammacher, Ellen Joosten, Piet Sanders and Jan Bijhouwer. The building committee draws up a design brief for the extension project.

The building committee asks the young Dutch architect Wim Quist to make a design for the new construction project. The design brief places strong emphasis on the relationship between inside and outside and on daylight as a light source. The existing building, designed by Henry van de Velde, must remain intact as much as possible. Oxenaar proposes to connect the old and the new wing with a glass corridor. Quist goes a step further. In his design, he achieves maximum transparency of the building by making not only the corridor, but virtually the entire façade from glass. His design is unanimously approved.