On this tour, you'll learn the story behind this exceptional building and its collections and exhibitions. Experience the encounters that the river and the port have brought about for centuries.
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.
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 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.
FREE ENTRANCE | Discover ‘Tatreez’ (Palestinian embroidery) in the Visible Storage. Historical pieces from the MAS collection are displayed alongside contemporary creations. The presentation shows how this centuries-old embroidery tradition is much more than just decoration on textiles.
CLOSED - In the exhibition 'Eyecatchers', 16 Antwerp residents gave their own take on our collection and chose their personal masterpiece. Because a masterpiece is something different for everyone.
26-02 to 30-08-2027 The exhibition explores what it means to live together and meet one another. What it means to be allowed to truly be yourself—in your own body, in your relationships with others, in public, and behind closed doors. An exhibition that shows how these themes, even today, are not publicly accepted or accessible for everyone.
A bit short of time, but in the mood for a spot of culture? Then book the quick tour and pay a short visit to the Boulevard. The escalator brings you to a different dimension on each level, and you end up on the roof of the MAS (if not the city itself…).
The exhibition also tells the story of Antarctica today. You will find out how scientists are still conducting groundbreaking scientific research there. This topical part of the exhibition was created in collaboration with the International Polar Foundation.
