Experience

2025 at the museums of Antwerp

Posted by Timothy on

The museums of the City of Antwerp are preparing to welcome visitors again in 2025 with numerous new exhibitions and projects. The Museum At the Stream (MAS) tells about the many faces of ‘Compassion‘, and in the Red Star Line Museum ‘Family Happiness‘ plays an important role. “Fashion museum MoMu examines the link between fashion and interior design and in the DIVA Museum we see the works of art of three exceptional jewelry designers”, the press release says.

The museums that are temporarily or partially closed also show their unique collections in other places in the city or organise special public activities for young and old.

MAS: ‘Compassion’, 31.01.2025 – 31.08.2025

Feeling or showing compassion is inherent to humans and has many faces. This exhibition shows how this is shown throughout many times, cultures and philosophies with paintings by Brueghel and Géricault, among others. Contemporary work by Ai Weiwei, Khaled Barakeh, Berlinde De Bruyckere, Stephan Vanfleteren and Lieve Blancquaert adds critical comments.

“How do we show our compassion? What drives us to do this? Who do we see as good examples? And what if opinions clash? Or if ideals are unachievable? The exhibition ‘Compassion’ is about the human need to help others. It is a much-discussed social theme. The MAS invites its visitors to reflect on the sometimes difficult questions that the theme raises.”

Red Star Line Museum, ‘Family Happiness’, 30.01.2025 – 04.05.2025

The Chinese community in Antwerp is one of the oldest and largest in Belgium. It plays an important role in the local business and cultural life of the city. Near Antwerp-Central Railway Station, on the Van Wesenbekestraat, is Chinatown with numerous Chinese restaurants, supermarkets and cultural centres.

In the exhibition ‘Family Happiness’ (‘Familiegeluk‘, ‘全家福‘), the museum puts this community, and in particular the Chinese entrepreneurs in the Antwerp catering industry, in the spotlight. Visitors get to know three Chinese restaurant families through interviews and documents from the family archive and through new work by photographer Vincent Beeckman. 

The exhibition also shows work by three Belgian artists, Sarah Yu Zeebroek, Atang and Yingda Dong, and one international artist, Von Hyin Kolk, all with Chinese roots. Their artworks reflect on the presence and influence of Chinese migrant entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry.

DIVA: ‘Contemporary Jewel Through the Eyes of Three Artists’ (working title), 27.02.2025 – 30.03.2025

Discover the unique results of the most recent residency period at the DIVA museum from 27 February to 30 March 2025. Three exceptional jewellery designers worked in the DIVA studio from September to December 2024 and bring their vision to life in a fascinating exhibition:

‘Silver Triennial – A unique look at international silver design’, 04.07.2025 – 30.09.2025

From 4 July to 30 September 2025, the DIVA Museum will bring the Silver Triennial to Antwerp. This triennial competition, organised by the German Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst and the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau, has grown into the leading competition for contemporary silver design since 1965.

This 21st edition will once again focus on the latest trends in international silverwork. DIVA is the only museum in Belgium to host this travelling exhibition and, thanks to its own scenography, it will be a unique experience.

FOMU: ‘Lee Miller in Print’, 28.02.2025 – 06.08.2025

Model, war correspondent, photographer and surrealist: Lee Miller (1907-1977) is all of these things. As one of the few well-known female photographers from the first half of the 20th century, she made an important contribution to photography. ‘Lee Miller in Print’ is Lee Miller’s first solo exhibition in Belgium.

FOMU collection & Katja Mater: ‘No Longer Not Yet’, 28.02.2025 – 04.01.2026

At the invitation of FOMU, Katja Mater dives into the museum collection and makes a special selection inspired by the theme of ‘time’.

The exhibition ‘No Longer Not Yet‘ allows visitors to experience time in different ways. From solar time and the rhythm of our body to the time of memories, asynchronous time, cosmic time and invisible time … ​ Objects from before the invention of photography to the absolute present are shown.

Mater frames the works, their (anonymous) makers and the subjects in the photos with care and precision. Mater focuses on details that are often overlooked or forgotten, such as the message on the back of a photo. At the same time, Mater creates new works of art, inspired by photos from the museum collection.

Museum Vleeshuis: ‘Torentunes: a small exhibition about great sounds’, from 14.03.2025 in the City Hall

For the people of Antwerp, the beautiful cathedral tower is their eternal pride, for visitors a unique example of Gothic architecture. For centuries, the belfry tower was the communication medium par excellence between the city and its residents. Flags, clockwork, chiming bells and carillon playing, the tower was blown high several times in Antwerp.

Museum Vleeshuis is also organizing guided tours of the cathedral tower in 2025: visitors can see the bells up close, learn all about the carillon and enjoy a beautiful view of the city. Now that Museum Vleeshuis is temporarily closed for restoration work, the tours do not start in the museum, but in the city hall. Using a few pieces from the special music collection of Museum Vleeshuis, visitors are introduced to the tower in all its functions, as a belfry, music box, clockwork and protected UNESCO heritage. The mini-exhibition ‘Torentunes: a small expo about grand sounds’ is free to enter during the opening hours of the City Hall.

From 1 March 2025, Museum Vleeshuis will open a mini-exhibition in the city hall about the Antwerp cathedral tower and the carillon. You will see several pieces from the museum’s special music collection and learn everything about the functions of the tower.

MOMU: ‘Fashion & Interior. A Gendered Affair.’, 29.03.2025 – 03.08.2025

This exhibition explores the relationship between fashion and interior design from a gender perspective. In the nineteenth century, women played an important role as ‘beautifiers’ of themselves and their homes. 

With an eye to comfort, they decorated their interiors with soft cushions and textures, draped fabrics, handicrafts and all kinds of trinkets. Their bodies were also covered in layers of textiles and trimmings. As a result, they blended in, or even threatened to disappear, with their interiors.

This visual fusion took on a well-considered form when several male designers, including Henry van de Velde, started designing women’s clothing. They coordinated architecture, furniture, decoration, clothing and accessories into a total work of art. 

Contemporary creations by Maison Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons and Hussein Chalayan, among others, offer a reflection on the historical relationship between interior design and fashion in the exhibition.

Frans Dille Prize, 29.03.2025 – 25.05.2025

The Frans Dille Prize is a triennial competition to promote the graphic arts in appreciation of the Antwerp artist and man Frans Dille (1909-1999). 

This prize is open to students and recent graduates from higher art education. The exhibition shows the work of the laureates and a selection of the other entries.

Museum Plantin-Moretus: ‘Impressive women (working title)’, 13.09.2025 – 11.01.2026

Christopher Plantijn did not raise his daughters for a life in the shadows. He involved them in the family’s trading activities to the best of his ability. Some later prominent women in the family went a step further. 

Martina Plantijn was already running the family’s international lace trade at the age of seventeen, Anna Goos took over the management of the company after her husband’s death, guided it through a payment crisis and seamlessly continued the management of the company. 

Maria Theresia Borrekens also proved to be a spirited business leader with a determined character after her husband’s death. Or to put it in the words of the Italian merchant Guicciardini: “They are capable of trading all over the world, yes, even women (although they have never been outside the country) can speak five, six and seven languages: which is a convenient and wonderful thing.”

Rubenshuis: ‘Enchanting tulip wealth’, April 2025, depending on the quality of the tulips

At the beginning of the 17th century, everyone wanted them: tulips in the garden. Tulips were a real symbol of luxury and wealth at the time. Peter Paul Rubens was also crazy about them. He even painted them in ‘The Walk in the Garden’. 

This spring, you can step into his masterpiece, because the 1000 historic tulips in the renovated garden of the Rubens House are in bloom for the first time. A delight for the senses and a cross-pollination between the past and the present. 

Why was this place so important to Rubens? How did tulips cause a stock market crash in 1637? And what do you know about the Antwerp tulip scam? The Rubens House will clear it up for you this spring. Visit the garden and the many activities.

Museum Mayer van den Bergh, ‘A charming farewell to a top collection, 22.03.2025 – 27.04.2025

The Museum Mayer van den Bergh is expanding and will close for renovations for several years from 27 April 2025. The adjacent Hof van Arenberg – the former home of the Mayer van den Bergh family – will become part of the museum; the current museum building will undergo a thorough restoration. Everyone is welcome to come and say goodbye to the museum and the collection presentation in its current form. 

From 22 March to 26 April 2025, the museum will present a special farewell programme including Bruegel lectures, creative workshops, focus tours, slow art sessions, dates with your favourite artwork, information about the museum of the future and a cracking farewell party on Saturday 26 April, so that fans and visitors can experience the special collection of collector Fritz Mayer van den Bergh in a unique way.

Museum Mayer van den Bergh, ‘Public favourites. 43 personal stories from the Mayer van den Bergh collection (working title)’, 20.06.2025 to 09.2027

Museum Mayer van den Bergh will temporarily close for renovations, but part of the collection will remain visible. The exhibition Public favourites will open in the Maagdenhuis on 20 June 2025.

In this exhibition, 43 Antwerp residents – from well-known and lesser-known figures to schools, associations, artists and regular visitors – choose a work of art from the collection and share their personal story. 

The result is a surprising and intimate look at the special collection of Fritz Mayer van den Bergh. From the iconic ‘Dulle Griet‘ by Pieter Bruegel to the moving sculpture ‘Jesus-John Group‘, each work of art is given a new meaning. The number 43 is symbolic: Fritz died at this age, and it had a special meaning for his mother Henriëtte. 

In ‘Public Favorites, 43 unique voices‘ keep this number alive. An opportunity not to be missed to discover many of the museum’s top pieces in a new way.

75 years of Middelheim Museum, from spring 2025

In 2025, the Middelheim Museum will be 75 years old. “Come in and take a step outside. The Middelheim Museum lets visitors discover or rediscover their favorite works of art in the new collection exhibition. Get some fresh air and fresh insights. The Middelheim Museum stimulates and de-stimulates at the same time.”

“Are you a loyal visitor or are you coming for the first time? Everyone can discover the Middelheim Museum all summer long, together with others or alone. The Middelheim Museum offers an active and attractive program with high-profile guests. Come draw. Come read. Come let go. On Saturday 17 May, the museum will kick off the summer festively with Bal Populaire.”

Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library: ‘Prestigious Nottebohm Hall opens during the summer’, summer 2025

The Nottebohm Hall is the hidden gem of the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library. As soon as they enter the hall, visitors smell the scent of the 120,000 old books and hear the city sounds fade away. S

trolling across the creaking parquet, they discover the iconic globes of Blaeu and all the other masterpieces that are kept there. During the summer, curious visitors can discover the Nottebohm Hall on their own.

The historical library space of the Antwerp Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience will open its doors this autumn for a new series of Nottebohm lectures and for individual visitors.

Art and museums in Antwerp