The legend of Brabo and Antigoon makes the hand the symbol of Antwerp. But the little hands on the facade are also a reminder of the many patrons who helped build the MAS.
In 2018 the youngsters of MAS in young hands took over a floor of the museum. A unique exhibition that revealed the animal side of the museum collection with creative materials and a wild programme.
The escalators in the MAS didn't only take visitors up to the roof, they also allowed to travel through time with impressive photographs of the collection.
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.
The historic grain elevator is under joint management of the MAS and the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. The extraordinary vessel will moor half of the time in Antwerp and the other half in Rotterdam.
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.
At the request of the city of Antwerp, the Antwerp artist Guillaume Bijl created the artwork Saluting Admiral Couple for the fifth anniversary of the MAS. The work gives the monumental building a playful and surprising touch.
The MAS and the FelixArchief invited all Antwerp citizens to contribute to an archive about daily life during the coronapandemic in Antwerp. Many Antwerp citizens responded with an often very personal contribution.