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.
Guy Rombouts and Benjamin Verdonck rearrange Jaap Kruithof
The Belgian philosopher Jaap Kruithof collected things that other people usually discard. Half of his collection is now given a new life thanks to the work of visual artists Guy Rombouts and Benjamin Verdonck.
The painting 'Entry of Bonaparte, as First Consul, into Antwerp on 18th July 1803' by Mathieu Ignatius Van Bree was added to the list of Top Pieces by the Flemish Government. The large oil painting hangs in the Palace of Versailles, an identical work in a small format belongs to the MAS collection.
On June 12, 1945, American Brigadier General Clare H. Armstrong donated two V-bombs to Antwerp as a reminder of the bitter struggle: an intact V1 practice bomb and a slightly damaged manned flying bomb. This bomb, the ReIV, we loaned to the Musée La Coupole near Saint-Omer in northern France.
The Flemish non-profit organisation Sensoa donated its collection of quilts to the MAS. It consists of unique and personal canvases, each commemorating an AIDS victim. The creations are not limited to the traditional quilting (patchwork) technique. Some canvases were drawn or painted.
The MAS collection comprises approximately 2,400 objects related to the poesjenelle tradition, originating from the former Folklore Museum: rod puppets, stage props, signs, theatre programmes and photographs. We also have rod puppets from other theatre traditions and a number of hand puppets.
