Themed Exhibition: Heritage & Horizons, Design with AI
On November 1st, the DAF Museum will open its new themed exhibition: Past & Future, Design with AI. This exhibition is being developed in close collaboration with the Design Department of DAF Trucks.
To prepare the space, the PACCAR Wing of the DAF Museum will be cleared and redesigned for the exhibition. As a result, it will be closed from September 22 until November 1.
The exhibition is curated by Bart van Lotringen, Design Director at DAF Trucks:
“We’re not only looking at the past — we’re also exploring how AI technology is being used by today’s automotive designers to enhance their creations. Classic models from the DAF Museum are being reimagined with AI. Designers’ visions of the future from decades ago are being refreshed. Futurists of the past and the visionaries of tomorrow are amplified, helping us better understand how AI can be harnessed by creative minds.”
The exhibition showcases design phases of iconic DAF vehicles from 1984 to the present. Large freestanding panels will feature screens (videos), texts, photos, and visualizations. AI-generated creations, moving images, and futuristic concepts — both historical and contemporary — will be presented as realistically as possible using AI.
Van Lotringen adds: “With the help of artificial intelligence, we explore ten compelling stories about DAF icons and key designers in DAF’s history. We highlight futurists from the past and those shaping the future. The exhibition also provides a platform for emerging talent and design visionaries already working with AI.”
To enrich the exhibition, external designers — or their descendants — have been or will be interviewed. For example, Mr. Guigiaro, co-designer of the DAF 95, and Vick, daughter of Burki. Four distinctive DAF vehicles will be on display, along with several Burki models and the full-scale wireframe model of the DAF 95, which is currently being restored.
This unique exhibition will be on view from November 1, 2025, through April 2026.