ANTWERP | Innovations in the Middelheim Museum provide a completely new visitor experience

The Middelheim Museum in Antwerp looks completely different today than it did a year and a half ago. The new arrangement of the permanent collection is thematic: in this way we shed new light on familiar works and make way for a number of new works. The park was thoroughly renovated.

The collection pavilion has been redesigned: it shows new works from the depot and also serves as a new museum library. From now on, your museum visit starts at the brand new visitor pavilion with shop in the museum heart at the orangery.

More than 200 works of art have been given a new, thoughtful place in the art park over the past 18 months. The new arrangement thematically relates the works to the landscape around them. In their new location, surprising connections are created between the sculptures, the park and the visitors.

From now on, the works no longer stand on their own islands, they show how different artists have addressed similar questions. They are also arranged in such a way that the beautiful green environment and the sculptures reinforce each other in both directions. The museum worked with the architects of Studio MOTO for the installation.

The new arrangement reveals the different, sometimes surprising, relationships between people and nature that you can find in the collection and in the park. These four themes are: Movements, Human Nature, Urban Wilderness and Fusion. Each theme has its own zone in the art park, partly inspired by the specific landscape.

1: Movements

Changeability is inherent in nature. A visit to the Middelheim Museum is therefore different every time. Artists are also fascinated by dynamics, mutation, growth and decay. The theme ‘movements’ explores our relationship with change. How do we get a grip on it? And how do we bring movement to stuck ideas?

With artworks by Carl Andre, Lola Daels, Kasper De Vos, Chris Burden, Dan Graham, Rein Dufait, Dennis Tyfus, William Forsythe, Roberta Gigante, Antony Gormley, Panamarenko, Alexander Calder, Jean Katambayi Mukendi, Ossip Zadkine, Michel François, among others. Honoré d’O, Louise Nevelson, Ai Weiwei, Max Bill, Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven.

2: Human nature

The theme ‘human nature’ focuses on humans and how they see themselves in relation to others and nature. Works of art reflect how our view of humanity evolves over time. And they make us think about the changing relationship between people and their environment?

With artworks by, among others, Camille Henrot, Folkert de Jong, Auguste Rodin, William Forsythe, Vic Gentils, Louise Lawler, Mari Andriessen, Constantin Meunier, Bruce Nauman, Philip Aguirre y Otegui, Henry Moore, Giacomo Manzù, Pablo Gargallo, Constant Permeke, Richard Deacon, Berlinde De Bruyckere and Valérie Mannaerts.

3: Urban wilderness

With ‘urban wilderness’ we zoom in on the city dweller’s experience of nature. What paradise are we dreaming of? Can we still speak of nature if the greenery has been created by people? This theme invites us to think about our vision of ‘ideal’ nature.

With artworks by Panamarenko, Per Kirkeby, Roman Signer, Jessica Stockholder, Isa Genzken, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, Bernd Lohaus, Ria Pacquée, Guillaume Bijl, Peter Rogiers, Koba De Meutter, Juan Muñoz and Charles Vandenhove.

4: Fusion

We often experience nature and culture as two separate, even opposing categories. But can humans and nature exist separately? With the theme ‘fusion’ we explore different ways in which humans and nature are intertwined. It is an invitation to reflect on what unites us.

With artworks by Franz West, Tony Cragg, Roel D’Haese, Lawrence Weiner, Germaine Richier, Aristide Maillol, Erwin Wurm, Koenraad Tinel, Henk Visch, Sharon Van Overmeiren, Hans Arp and François Pompon.

Seven museum zones in the art park

In addition to the four thematic zones, three additional museum zones have their own interpretation.

The new open-air depot contains sculptures that have been temporarily removed from the collection. This way, the entire collection remains accessible to the visitor, but we can let the works in the park display speak more. The visitor can also follow how works are restored or preventively maintained. The construction was done in collaboration with Lapis Arte and TAK Landscape architects.

Zone Oost is developing the museum together with its neighbors ZNA Middelheim Hospital and the University of Antwerp. We strive for a place where great interaction with the works is possible, and where we connect the entire museum between healthcare institutions and campuses. A lot of attention is paid to what the museum can mean for the mental and physical well-being of the people who work and stay there, and of the residents of the wider area and the city.

The temporary exhibitions will now take place in the new exhibition zone between the castle and Zone Oost. It is more accessible and better equipped with visitor facilities. Between exhibitions, we display more mobile or vulnerable works from the collection for shorter periods. For example, the beautiful Hortiflora, where the exhibitions have taken place since 2012, will now be used more intensively as a presentation location for the collection.

“Over the past year and a half, there have been major works in the museum: together with the relocation of the statues, parts of the park were also redesigned. These were major construction sites, but the result makes you forget all the mud of the past months. Antwerp residents and visitors to the city can now rediscover and experience how special the combination of a strong collection and a beautiful heritage environment is in this unique art park”, Nabilla Ait Daoud (N-VA), Alderman for Culture, says.

New works of art on display

Not only do the well-known works from the collection now come into their own. There are also many recent acquisitions to discover in the line-up.

The Middelheim Museum collaborates with various partners for these acquisitions. Several works were acquired by the Flemish Community and given on long-term loan to the Middelheim Museum. You can now discover the work of, among others: Valérie Mannaerts (‘You again’, 2021), Kasper de Vos (‘Cast of a Thought‘, 2021) and Philip Aguirre y Otegui (‘Fallen Dictator‘, 2005), Roberta Gigante (‘Double Twisting‘, 2021). ), Caroline Coolen (‘‘‘, 2021), Sharon Van Overmeiren (‘The Voyage of the Mascot‘, 2021) and Filip Vervaet (‘Setting’, 2019).

The Dutch artist Folkert de Jong, who had a major solo exhibition in the Middelheim Museum in 2015 and also exhibited here in 2006, donated a work for the collection: ‘Act of Despair (Thonet Version)‘, 2013.

The Middelheim Promotors recently acquired a monumental fountain by Camille Henrot (‘Adrift‘, 2023) and a work by Johan Creten (‘Why does Strange Fruit always taste so sweet‘, 1998-2008).

Other works have also been restored after a long absence and can be seen again or for the first time in the museum. This is, among others, the case for the work of Per Kirkeby, which was severely affected by a spring storm, and Jan Dries’ ‘Kosmisch Oog‘ (1973), the white marble sculpture that illuminated the metro station under the Groenplaats for 35 years.

Research showed that the work ‘Column Pavilion‘ (1984-1992) by Charles Vandenhove was also intended by the artist to exhibit works of art by others. So that’s what we’ll do, from now on.

“By looking at the works in our collection, inspired by the history and importance of the park today, it became clear to us once again how special and important that combination is today. Not only contemporary artists ask questions about man’s relationship to his environment. Other artists did this before them 100 years ago. Being curious and, where necessary, daring to look critically at what we take for granted: that is the work of artists. So as a museum we have to make room for that”, Sara Weyns, director Middelheim Museum, says.

Depot collection and library in redesigned collection pavilion

The collection pavilion has also been given a new design and purpose in recent months, in collaboration with B-bis Architects. In the future, we will bring together even more hidden collections here that support our core collection in the park: works on paper, small sculptures, vulnerable works.

In the open depot setup you will first see various masterpieces: works that are recognized as masterpieces because of their rare and indispensable value. The other works from the depot that were selected are in line with the presentation of the collection outside. The four themes of the art park are reflected here.

“An important ‘hidden’ support collection is that of the museum library. Our book collection follows the art collection: it concerns books on sculpture, monographs, exhibition catalogs and artist publications. Researchers already use it a lot today, but in the future every visitor will be able to view and read the books and a wide selection of journals in detail”, according to the press release.

Visitor experience starts in new visitor pavilion

From now on, your visit to the Middelheim Museum starts at the brand new visitor pavilion in the museum heart, between the main entrance and the castle. This pavilion, redesigned in collaboration with B-bis Architects, is accessible to everyone.

In this pavilion you will receive all the information to make your visit to the museum as comfortable as possible: explanations about the museum plan, the current exhibition, the activities or answers to practical questions. All tours and activities for groups and schools also start here. You will find the new museum shop, lockers and a water point there.

In the coming months, the museum will complete its new collection presentation with brand new signage and wayfinding in the art park, developed by Studio Dott. Additional welcome signs, orientation signs and arrows show you the way even better and provide more practical explanations. The artworks also come with pictures with a QR code that you can scan for new, clear interpretation of each work.

“The world today needs a fresh look at old themes. The new arrangement of works of art in the park invites you to ask different questions about familiar sculptures and landscapes. With all the adjustments we have made, we hope that everyone will get even more out of their visit, for a stimulating or just stimulating experience in the museum”, Sara Weyns says.

Park ready for the future

The park itself was also renovated. Large parts were softened and greened. Many new young trees and shrubs were planned. A new entrance increases accessibility from the parking lot on Beukenlaan. The introduction of large water tanks ensures that the park is more climate-robust for the future. You now see a lot of flower bulbs and stinzen along the new walking loop.

The green department’s mowing policy was adjusted: for more biodiversity, to allow more rainwater to infiltrate and to support the collection presentation. Not an unnecessary luxury for our age-old trees, now that the summers are getting hotter. In this way we also make the park resilient for the future. For this purpose, the green department and the museum worked together with Atelier voor Groene Ruimte.