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Discover Antwerp’s heritage

Mention of heritage in Antwerp immediately puts us in mind of the cathedral or a painting by Rubens. But the Reuzenstoet (Giants’ Parade) or an ancient tree are also part of our heritage, and the same is true of everything we have built up over the centuries in our society.

Display of Power | About Prestige and Symbols

17.05.2011 - 18.02.2018

People have been fascinated by power for centuries. Why is power so seductive? What kind of prestige accompanies it? A highly topical theme in which – who knows? – you may find some personal relevance.

Discover the collection

500,000 exhibits offer a varied perspective on the city and its age-old contacts with the world. Some of them are displayed in permanent and temporary exhibitions, but most are kept in storage.

Dimitri Leue & Tine Embrechts

Interview

Together with the MAS, theatre producer, writer and actor Dimitri Leue gathered stories from the collection and the city for the new exhibition 'Listen'. He wrote a compelling audio play that you can listen to in the exhibition. Tine Embrechts plays the role of Kameleonie.

Discover the collection

Antwerp is a port city where the world has been mooring at the docks for centuries. The MAS collection is the place where city and world meet. 500,000 exhibits offer a varied perspective on the city and its age-old contacts with the world. Some of them are displayed in permanent and temporary exhibitions, but most are kept in storage. In the Visible Storage area, the MAS lifts a corner of the veil. For the really inquisitive, the MAS also has its entire collection on display online.

The conversion of Saul

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.

A venison hotchpotch

We call it Riverside but you can call it L.O.

For the exhibition 'Le Corbusier. Linkeroever - Chandigarh’, the MAS closely collaborates with people and organisations in Linkeroever. Amongst others, we spoke with two residents’ associations in Europark, had coffee with the board of the Sint-Anna College and the secondary school, and visited River Side Studio.

Objects in the exhibition

Except for a dozen or so loans, all the pieces on display in the exhibition come from the MAS collection. The objects have been chosen for what they portray, their significance or their (historical) story.

Saulustableau

The tile tableau from 1547 is a rare witness to early majolica production in Antwerp, a typical Renaissance phenomenon. The Saulus tableau is a piece of indispensable cultural heritage for Flanders.