V-bombs hit Antwerp hard in the winter of 1944-45. The blast at Cinema Rex was the deadliest bomb strike in history. The City at War exhibition features a large V1 practice bomb, surrounded by small, personal souvenirs. They show how deeply the attacks affected the lives of residents.
The expo featured loans from the Royal Yacht Club of Belgium and private collectors. A detailed Antwerp roadsted view and ship models attributed to Robert Mols, were the eye-catchers from the MAS collection.
The freeing of the Scheldt was a landmark event in Flemish history. In mid-1863, Antwerp celebrated that after more than 250 years, merchant shipping on the Scheldt was truly free again. A telling painting of this ‘Scheldt Free!’ celebration from the MAS collection can be seen in our Visible Storage.
- CLOSED - In 1897 the Belgica set off from Antwerp to the last blind spot on the world map: Antarctica. The expedition got stuck in the polar ice and made history as a result. The expo showed how the men managed to survive, who followed in their footsteps, and what Antarctica is like today.
Nine paintings from the Sarvavid series recently left for New York, where they are on display at the Rubin Museum of Art. MAS colleague Roselyne, curator of the Asia collection, travelled with the loans. Wondering what is involved in such a loan escort? You can read it here...
The MAS, together with a number of key partners, collected stories from Antwerper citizens about what a "home" means to them. A dozen families collaborated on the exhibition for a year.
MAS strives to be as accessible and inclusive a place as possible. How do we welcome less mobile visitors, people with hearing or visual impairments, or those with autism spectrum disorders?
