MAS - Museum aan de Stroom

Not only the museum, but also the building itself is an eye-catcher

Where locks, bridges, cranes and warehouses once dominated the cityscape, the new "Het Eilandje" district has sprung up in recent years. The most striking building is the Museum aan de Stroom, or MAS for short, which was inaugurated in 2011 and is dedicated to Antwerp's connection with the world.

Museum collection

In eight exhibition rooms, the museum is dedicated to very different topics. In various permanent and temporary exhibitions, the history of the city and the port is illuminated as well as
international trade. But also the history, culture and art of Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Oceania play an important role in the museum.

The diversity of the museum is based, among other things, on the fact that several collections of Antwerp museums have been included. Thus, the Ethnographic Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Ethnographic Museum are now merged into one museum.

The MAS has over 500,000 objects and important collections. Maritime objects, ship models and the largest collection of harbor cranes in Europe can be admired by visitors, as well as a Buddhist painting series from the 18th century and a collection of European pictorial arches.

Architecture

The red brick building rises 62 meters into the sky. The massive tower is one of the most spectacular museum buildings in Europe and was designed by the Rotterdam architectural firm Neutelings-Riedijk.

Ten brick blocks are stacked on top of each other, always rotated by 90°. Thus, each of the exhibition rooms offers a different view of the port city.

The facade is decorated with thousands of small, shiny hands. These "antwerpse handjes" recall the legend of the Roman warrior Brabo, who is said to have freed the city from a giant by throwing his unhooked hand into the Scheldt. According to legend, the city owes its name to this "hand werpen".

[caption id="attachment_26226" align="alignnone" width="800"] Small hands on the facade of the MAS[/caption]

The red brick is interrupted by meter-high glass walls. Behind them is a gallery corridor that spirals around the building all the way to the roof. This huge spiral staircase is freely accessible - even without visiting the museum. From the platform on the roof you have a magnificent view of the city.

[caption id="attachment_26222" align="alignnone" width="800"] View of the Antwerp skyline from the MAS. Photo: Erik AJV / Shutterstock.com[/caption]

Mosaic on the museum forecourt

On the square in front of the museum is a 1600 m² mosaic, created by the important contemporary artist Luc Tuymans. With this work of art he transformed his own painting "Dead Skull" into stone.
Both works were based on a memorial plaque at the cathedral, dedicated to the co-founder of the Antwerp school of painting Quinten Massys. Tuymans thus wanted to create a link between historic Antwerp and modern Antwerp.