Hammacher is in Japan in 1958 to accompany a major loan exhibition. In Tokyo he sees the work of the 18^th-century Zen master Hakuin Ekaku. He reports on his trip to Ellen Joosten: ‘We are now also entering circles of artists and collectors. We see a lot of Noh [theatre] and go to Japanese films’. He also visits the studios of three contemporary artists: Nankoku Hidai, Toko Shinoda and Shiko Munakata.

In contrast to the more abstract-calligraphic work of Hidai and Shinoda, the paintings of Munakata are highly expressive. In his studio he introduces Hammacher to his working method: like a ‘true temple guard’ or ‘demon’ he attacks the paper, ‘Van Gogh would have admired his tension and speed’. Afterwards, Munakata writes to him: ‘It is my great hope that this friendship will continue to grow’.

Hammacher purchases a work on paper from Hidai and Shinoda: ‘they give a very pure picture of contemporary Japanese painting’. Hidai’s work is ‘troubling due to the tension that arises when a very vigorous artist innovates his work without wanting to give up the old Japanese tradition’, while Shinoda’s work demonstrates ‘a combination of sensitivity and power almost unheard of in the West’.

Hammacher decides to organize an exhibition in Otterlo with the work of these three artists, together with that of Hakuin Ekaku. Despite the increasing attention for art from outside Europe, Traditie en vernieuwing in de Japanse kunst (Tradition and innovation in Japanese art) is an unusual exhibition for the Netherlands. Hammacher notes in the annual report: ‘The exhibition attracted interest, but the impression was nonetheless that those who are well acquainted with European painting overlooked the extraordinary Japanese mentality’.

In 1959 and 1960 the collection is again augmented with several works for the sculpture garden. Hammacher hopes that the new sculptures ‘will revive the ideal of Mrs Kröller’ and ‘once again manifest the unity between park and museum: inter muros et extra’. 

The acquisitions include Large bather no. 3 by Emilio Greco, Female dancer by Oscar Jespers and Standing figure by Fritz Wotruba. According to Hammacher, the latter work is ‘undoubtedly one of the small group of sculptures that, without any ingenious refinement and any artifice, can easily stand firm in the open air’.

With these acquisitions he still roughly follows the line that Helene set out. But supported by an Advisory Committee focused on innovation, he also acquires highly abstract and expressive sculptures: Composition on a plane and Balanced construction by Shamaï Haber, Beast XVI by Lynn Chadwick, and Column of peace by Antoine Pevsner. According to Hammacher, the latter sculpture is dominated by ‘the straight line and the narrow, slightly curved surface, which captures the light and radiates it again, whereby peace is represented as an inner state but equally as an active effect’. Gradually, a very modern and progressive part of the collection develops. 

In March and April De Verzameling van Theo van Gogh (The collection of Theo van Gogh) is shown in Otterlo on the 70^th anniversary of his death. This traditional exhibition is followed by Vorm en Kleur. Beeldhouwwerken Afrika Oceanië (Form and Colour, Sculptures Africa Oceania). Hammacher wants to show that these sculptures were a source of inspiration for many modern, particularly cubist, works of art: ‘The magical human figure from outside Europe appeared on the horizon of young European art at the beginning of this century’. Not so much the meaning, but the intrinsic qualities of African sculpture appeal to him. For that reason, in 1955 already he purchased Antelope mask, his first acquisition of African art.

The exhibition also includes works on loan from the Ethnographic Museum in Leiden. ‘A large segment of the public that visits the Kröller-Müller Museum rarely if ever visits the ethnological museums. That is why, despite the misgivings of the specialists, it is good to bring the treasures contained in those collections into the environment of Van Goghs and Picassos in such a way that they can simply be viewed for the high quality of their visual characteristics’.

In 1959, work begins on levelling the ground and felling trees, which Hammacher limits to an absolute minimum to preserve ‘the natural structure’ as much as possible. But the work cannot be completed this year, because a number of unanticipated alterations have to be made.

Many decisions are made on the spot. To comply with Hammacher’s wish, many trees are preserved so that Bijhouwer’s ‘galleries’ are transformed into open areas with freestanding trees and groups of trees. The strict demarcation and levelling of the ground are also kept to a minimum because Hammacher explicitly wants to emphasize the valley-like character of the basins.

In order to realize a better connection between the museum and the sculpture garden, a terrace designed by architect John Habraken is created, for which flagstones are used on Hammacher’s request. The terrace is surrounded by a low wall and sheltered with plants, forming a transitional zone from the museum to the garden, as it were.

As soon as the garden is ready, Song of the vowels by Jacques Lipchitz and Judith and Holofernes by Arturo Martini are the first to be installed. The large size of the sculptures makes it quite an undertaking for the staff.