The MAS is not only a museum, it's also a unique location for a picnic, it offers a cosy museum café at the foot of the MAS as well as a gourmet restaurant on the top floor.
CLOSED - In 'World city' you could be charmed by the numerous stories and anecdotes that Antwerp is rich in. A must for every Antwerp citizen so that he could become even prouder of his city, a must for every non-Antwerpian so that he finally understood the fuss around this world city.
Napoleon's visit to Antwerp in 1803 was a high point for the city on the Scheldt. Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon's wife, ordered a painting to immortalise the entry. This is a preliminary sketch for that.
The Saulus tableau depicts a Biblical scene: on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus, the Roman Saul, persecuting Christians, is blinded by a lightning bolt and thrown from his horse. This tile tableau of over 1 by 2 metres has 98 tiles in majolica, colourful and glazed earthenware.
In 1873, the Antwerp Museum of Antiquities purchased a 16th-century retable of the Averbode Abbey, depicting the Lamentation of Christ. 150 years later, it is given on long-term loan to the abbey and thus returns home.
In this impressive warehouse, all the museum rooms are stacked like boxes. Follow the Boulevard with its metres-high glass windows as it spirals upwards, and enjoy an incredible view of the city from every level.
The MAS exhibit, 'Cool Japan', took you on a whirlwind tour of the global fascination for Japanese visual culture with icons such as Hello Kitty, Zelda and Sailor Moon.
We are happy to lend our collection to make it known to a wider audience, to encourage new research on the collection and to foster the connection with the heritage community.
Military violence and mass persecution of Jews and dissenters during World War II broke the city. Personal stories and objects make this period very tangible in this new permanent MAS exhibition.
