Last year, during fall, I went to admire contemporary art with my bestie in the M HKA museum in Antwerp. Back then, I took a lot of amazing pictures of the museum and the art displayed there, but never used it to write an article with. I would still like to show these photos and tell you something about the museum, as we liked it a lot there! This contemporary art museum is definitely worth a visit if you’re visiting Antwerp and love art!
What’s There To See?
In the M HKA you will find a lot of modern and contemporary art. The museum displays around 4750 artworks from 691 artists, divided over 40 subcollections and the M HKA collection continues to expand. The museum aims to portrait the post-war avant-garde as the basis for dealing with today’s multipolar world. There are many works of art by core artists in Flanders, but also extensive ensembles of international top figures.
Besides just displaying art, the M HKA museum has much more to offer… The museum has special programs full of fun activities! Always wanted to do yoga in a museum? It’s possible at the M HKA museum! You can also take guided tours, attend an artist’s presentation and there are activities for the kids!
Temporary Exhibitions & Library
In addition to a number of permanent collections of artworks, the M HKA also has a space that they use for temporary exhibitions. While we were there, there was an exhibition of artwork and behind-the-scenes projects by a group of artists. They switch up the temporary exhibitions after a couple of months, so take a look at their site if you want to know what’s currently on display.
When entering the museum I was stunned by their library. Right after walking into the museum using the main entrance, you walk into this huge library. Inside the library you can actually sit down at a very long table and read something. There are actual books you can read, but there are artworks as well. The library portraits the main hall. From there you can enter the paid parts of the museum or visit the free exhibitions.
M HKAFE & Museum Shop
Fancy a drink or something tasty? There is even a cafe in the museum! There is a cafe on the top floor. At the M HKAFE, you can get all kinds of drinks, dishes and treats. The cafe is also open to outside public. There is an additional entrance to the cafe from the outside that will lead you to the roof terrace door without having to pay entrance to the museum.
Every museum has a little (gift)shop and so does the M HKA museum. The M HKA museum shop offers a wide selection of art books (including ones for children), postcards and magazines. You will also find the museum’s own publications, artist editions, multiples, tote bags and posters linked to the current exhibitions. It is the perfect place to end your visit. Just like the cafe you, can you can visit the museum shop even without paying for entrance fee.
Getting There
The museum is located at the ‘Gedempte Zuiderdokken’, a 20 minutes’ walk from the historic center. By bicycle, the museum is easily accessible from both city and surrounding municipalities. For example, you can cycle along the quays (‘Kaaien’) with their beautiful and safe bike path. When travelling with public transport, the Antwerp-South train station is the closest. From Antwerp-Central and Antwerp-Berchem stations, you can take bus line 30 in the direction of South, to the Antwerp M HKA stop. If you wanna travel by car, you can park for free on the ‘Gedempte Zuiderdokken’ and the ‘Scheldekaaien’.
Key Information
You can find the M HKA Museum Antwerp at Leuvenstraat 32,
2000 Antwerp. Opening hours Tuesday & Wednesday and Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Thursday, they’re open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The general entrance fee is €26, €3 for anyone under 26 and admission to the museum is free for children under 13.
The M HKA Museum in Antwerp is so much fun to visit! The museum displays some great contemporary artworks and admission isn’t expensive. Even the 3 free exhibits were worth a visit in the museum. It is also nmfun to just have a coffee at the M KAFE, for example. They have a very nice terrace outside and also looks superb from the inside! If you visit Antwerp, don’t skip this museum!
*P.S. The M HKA has reopened on May 19 after the museum closed due to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
