The MAS collection consists of more than 500,000 objects about art, cultural traditions and history of the city and port of Antwerp. But also of Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania.
The MAS preserves culturally and historically sensitive Congolese heritage. In what circumstances did this collection of approximately 3,800 cultural objects come into being? A two-year research project will map this out more clearly.
The tile panel 'The Conversion of Saul' is one of the most important pieces of the MAS I Vleeshuis collection, the collection of applied arts and history from the city of Antwerp.
The MAS manages the largest collection of historical vessels in the country. For years, it was displayed under the shelters next to Het Steen, but after a spectacular relocation operation, the vessels found a new home at the Dry Docks site.
CLOSED | You could find out more about the people behind the objects of the MAS: who used them, who collected them? And at the same time, you could take a look behind the scenes of the museum.
CLOSED| In super-diverse Antwerp, you will find hairstyles and hair traditions of all colours and shapes. The hair salons where it all happens are equally diverse. The photo exhibition 'The Salon' gave you a taste of the diversity of hair salons and cuts.
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.
Jan Corteel devoted himself to promoting the story of Nello and Patrasche in Antwerp and Belgium. Over the years, Jan even built up a Nello and Patrasche collection, with all kinds of merchandise and various editions of the book. He donated this collection to the MAS.
In 2024, we selected a dental collection to perform a valuation on. There was no knowledge within the MAS about the provenance and history of this collection. It was not clear whether these objects had a place within the collection plan.
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.