This winter of 2025-2026, three young Antwerp performers are taking over Museum Mayer van den Bergh. In the exhibition ‘Public Favourites‘, they present ‘Urban Legends‘: three evenings full of hip-hop, concerts, DJ sets, workshops and fantasy in galleries filled with historical art.

Three young Antwerp performers – Camine Van Hoof, Eline Cote and Emma Hessels – each selected a collection piece from the ‘Public Favourites’ exhibition that resonated with their own world. For ‘Urban Legends’, they bring their energy and universe to the Maagdenhuis, the guest location of Museum Mayer van den Bergh, on three winter evenings. Taking their favourite artwork as a starting point and inspiration, they create their own programme of hip-hop and fantasy aimed at young art lovers.

Lien Van de Kelder (Vooruit), Alderman for Culture: “With ‘Urban Legends’, we hand young makers the keys to the museum. This way, Mayer van den Bergh becomes a place where today’s art builds a bridge to the past. What a unique interplay of hip-hop, concerts, DJ sets, workshops and fantasy in the middle of historical art.”

‘From Bruegel to the Bronx’ – Saturday 29 November

Break champion and B-girl Camine Van Hoof opens ‘Urban Legends’ with a hip-hop nocturne. She curates an evening full of beatbox, breakdance and tagging, a DJ set in the Maagdenhuis chapel and a bar in the inner courtyard. 

Together with Soe Nsuki, she challenges visitors with a hip-hop quiz. Camine chose Bruegel’s Census at Bethlehem as her public favourite. The dynamism and multitude of figures in the painting remind her of the creative explosion of the hip-hop scene in the Bronx during the 1980s. This connection forms the common thread throughout her evening.

‘D&D @ the museum’ – Saturday 6 December

Double bassist and fantasy fan Eline Cote curates a fantasy-filled programme. The horror present in many historical artworks inspired her to invite philosopher and ‘horror professor’ Dimitri Goossens for a talk. 

Visitors can unleash their creativity in several workshops. They can learn to draw the Mad Meg from Spike & Suzy (Suske & Wiske), paint miniature figures or try kitbashing: creating something new using your imagination and simple materials. The highlight is a Dungeons & Dragons game night with storylines based on the art collection of Fritz Mayer van den Bergh.

‘(Oh Cecilia) You’re breaking my heart’ – Thursday 29 January 2026

Singer-songwriter Emma Hessels closes ‘Urban Legends’ with an intimate musical evening. At Museum Mayer van den Bergh, she performs her entire debut EP in its original arrangement. Emma pays homage to her public favourite: a boxwood sculpture of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. 

Visitors can settle among the artworks in the serene atmosphere of the Maagdenhuis chapel and listen to an intimate set exploring themes such as love, loneliness and connection. Before the concert, restaurant Samenloop serves a specially composed menu.

Programme and tickets for Urban Legends via the website.

‘Urban Legends’ at Museum Mayer van den Bergh

Experience fantasy, hip-hop and concerts! For three days, three young Antwerp talents take over the museum. Camine Van Hoof, Eline Cote and Emma Hessels selected their favourite collection piece from the Public Favourites exhibition, inspired by their own worlds. For Urban Legends, they now bring their universe into the museum.

Museum Mayer van den Bergh: Expo ‘Public Favourites’ 20 June 2025 – 12 September 2027

Museum Mayer van den Bergh is renovating and expanding. Fortunately, this does not mean the curtain falls on the collection. Forty-three museum lovers selected a work that visitors can admire during the closure in the ‘Public Favourites’ exhibition. An intimate look at masterpieces in the nearby Maagdenhuis. They (re)discover, among others, Bruegel’s world-famous ‘Dulle Griet’, the moving Christ–John group and the ‘Calvary‘ triptych with donor couple by Quinten Massijs.

Art and museums in Antwerp

• ANTWERP | ‘Suske & Wiske and the Visual Arts’: M HKA shows how a comic strip series Shapes the collective memory.
• REVIEW | ‘La ligne de vie’ René Magritte exhibition at Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
• REVIEW | ‘Universal Tongue’, on dance, at Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) until 4 January 2026.
• 2028 to be Music Year in Antwerp.
• ANTWERP | MAS celebrates the universal language of dance with ‘Universal Tongue’, from 25 October 2025 to 4 January 2026.
• ANTWERP | Flemish government cancels €130 million new museum building for M HKA in Antwerp.
• MOMU | ‘GIRLS. On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between’, 27 September 2025 to 1 February 2026.
• ANTWERP | Museum Plantin-Moretus highlights 300 years of women’s stories in ‘Women’s Business / Business Women’.
• Antwerp fashion museum MoMu will mark 40 years of The Antwerp Six with exhibition.
• ANTWERP | Museum Mayer van den Bergh opens exhibition ‘Public Favourites’, from Mad Meg to Delft Blue, look at art through other people’s eyes.
• ANTWERP | Museum Night 2025 on Saturday 2 August.
• ANTWERP | Middelheim Museum celebrates 75 years with a summer full of new ways to experience the art park.
• ANTWERP | ‘These Branching Moments’ – ‘.tiff 2025′ – ”OM/MOTHER’: 3 new exhibitions at FOMU, from 28 June 2025.
• ANTWERP | ‘Compassion’ in the MAS: the many faces of compassion.
• 2025 at the museums of Antwerp.
• 2025 at Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp (KMSKA): René Magritte, Marthe Donas, Panamarenko, Hans Op de Beeck.
• ANTWERP | Graphics Museum De Reede ft. Francisco Goya, Edvard Munch, Félicien Rops and Albrecht Dürer.
• ANTWERP | Rubens Experience and Rubens Garden at Rubenshuis.
• ANTWERP | Innovations in the Middelheim Museum provide a completely new visitor experience.
• A visit of the Flemish Tram and Bus Museum – Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum (VlaTAM) in Antwerp.
• ANTWERP | Discovering queer(ed) art with the Queer Tour at the KMSKA fine arts museum.
• REVIEW | Illusion Antwerpen, an active and photogenic museum.
• Antwerp museums and sports facilities team up with European Disability Card for accessible leisure activities.
• Museum Mayer van den Bergh.
• ANTWERP | Inside Rubens House.
• Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp.
• ANTWERP | Museum Vleeshuis up for restoration.
• BOOK | ‘Antwerp. An Archaeological View on the Origin of the City’ by Tim Bellens.
• Red Star Line Museum.
• Paleis op de Meir. 
• DIVA, Antwerp Home of Diamonds.
• ANTWERP | Red Star Line Museum of (e)migration.