The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) celebrated its reopening in 2022, after a lengthy restoration and expansion project. But how did this 19th-century building arise? The seventh edition of the exhibition series Unfolding the Archives provides an insight into how the then young architects Jean-Jacques Winders and Frans Van Dijk designed the KMSKA. Unique objects, photos, archival material and several masterpieces take you back to the 1884 design.
Unfolding the Archives #7
KMSKA, built for beauty
It is not only the KMSKA’s collection that is outstanding: the building is a masterpiece in its own right. One that played an crucial role in the urban development of Antwerp’s new Zuid district. The museum is a symbol of Antwerp’s expansion and modernisation during the 19th century, which saw the creation of the city’s characteristically wide avenues, parks and public gardens. The KMSKA is one of several prominent buildings with public functions, such as the National Bank, the Court of Justice and the Central Station. Each of which is a meticulously conceived and image-defining edifice. Numerous European cities evolved along similar lines, including Berlin, Vienna and Amsterdam. The exhibition situates the KMSKA within an historical and international perspective.
Download the exhibition guide
The South and KMSKA, an entwined history
Experience the architecture and history of the KMSKA and the South district of Antwerp with the ErfgoedApp!
Be surprised and inspired on this wonderful walk through the South district! Let us show you the architecture and rich history of KMSKA and the South. Admire, among other things, the home of Jean-Jacques Winders, one of the architects of KMSKA. Or discover the answer to the question of what Neptune has to do with the museum.
read moreThe history of the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp discussed at EAUH 2024 Conference
From 4 to 7 September the EAUH 2024 Conference: Cities at the Boundaries will take place in Ostrava, Chzech Republiq. Collection manager and historian Stefaan Grieten (Flanders Architecture Institute) will give a lecture about Museums and the City, with a focus on the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
Practical
- DATE:
23.10.2024 – 19.01.2025
The exhibition is closed from 23.12.2024-01.01.2025. - ENTRANCE:
€5 (tickets online and at entrance)
€0 (students, -19 year, unemployed, ICOM-members, vrienden van het KMSKA, tickets at the entrance) - OPEN:
From Wednesday to Sunday from 2pm to 7pm and during evening performances until 10pm.
- OPENING:
22 October at 8pm
- LOCATION:
DE SINGEL (Expo)
- ADDRESS:
Desguinlei 25, 2018 Antwerp (BE)
- CURATOR:
Stefaan Grieten (Flanders Architecture Institute)
- SCENOGRAPHY:
Nino Goyvaerts (Flanders Architecture Institute)
- PRODUCTION:
Flanders Architecture Institute
- IN COLLABORATION WITH:
KMSKA
- WITH SUPPORT OF:
Flemish Community
There are spaces reserved for wheelchair users in all halls of DE SINGEL. Please contact us in advance at tickets@desingel.be so that we can reserve a space for you. You can use an elevator to reach the halls. Enter through the main entrance of DE SINGEL and make your way down the ramp to the left of the stairs to take the lift. Read more about the accessibility
Unfolding the Archives
In the Unfolding the Archives series, the Flanders Architecture Institute exhibits major pieces, hidden treasures and striking discoveries from its collection. It enriches contemporary architectural themes with a historical dimension, shows newly acquired archives to visitors for the first time, or elucidates prominent figures or moments from architectural history.