M HKA is into Summer!
Interactive exhibitions and events, a vibrant museum night, and playful installations for children on our roof terrace: we look forward to welcoming you this summer. Moreover, this summer ‘het Zuid’ will be the place to be: the once grey Zuiderdokken have been completely renovated into a large green park. Discover here what the M HKA has in store for the coming months.
Exhibitions
Let’s Play Museum
During the summer months, the museum transforms into a cozy hangout for families. For the exhibition Let’s Play Museum De Studio’s curator Marc Verstappen and a class of 9-year-olds delved into the M HKA collection. They selected various works of art that invite you to swing, bowl or build camps. There is also room for peace and quiet, with the heart-warming video work Head to Head by Herwig Ilegems, or Daems van Remoortere’s wonderful Sundance fountain.
IN SITU: Ignace Cami
RE:ANKER is the title of the presentation Ignace Cami made in the IN SITU space of the M HKA. The artist works with the notion of ‘heritage’ and examines its place within society. Freshly baked speculaas, a typical Belgian shortcrust biscuit , here referring to various folk tales, is offered daily during the exhibition . At specific times, a choir performs, and drinks are offered featuring goose heads.
Archive and collection presentations
On the ground floor of the M HKA you can visit three presentations that highlight collection works or archive material.
In the collection presentation In dialogue with fire, artist Askhat Akhmedyarov exhibits an installation and some photo series. The development of Kazakhstan’s historical and political landscape is a central feature of his practice.
The collection presentation Mass (and Individual) Moving highlights the actions organised by a group of artists, engineers and architects in the 1960s and 1970s. The street was their field of action; their concerns were mobility, biodiversity and energy.
Finally, the archive presentation ‘If a poem loses its face‘ brings together assemblages and multiples by Marcel van Maele, who was a non-conformist and rebellious writer, performer and visual artist. In his work he contrasted the absolute freedom of the individual with the pressure of society.
Activities
Nocturne
Did you know that the M HKA is open every last Thursday evening of the month? On Thursday, 29 June, a new INBOX presentation will open on the fifth floor. In 2021, 200 contemporary artists from around the world were displaying their work on billboards in Antwerp. For this presentation, the M HKA selected 22 striking works.
Museum Night
During the night of 5 to 6 August, Antwerp is celebrating! 19 museums open their doors between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. Of course , the M HKA participates. We bring out our inner child . There will be a large ball pool, games, guided tours, performances, and for the lucky ones … chocolate spread sandwiches. We conclude with a party, including karaoke. Not to be missed! Tickets are for sale on Museumnacht.be.
Performances by Ignace Cami
What happens when a group of foreign speakers sing Dutch songs? In the performance RE:ANKER by Ignace Cami, twelve singers, all of them ‘newcomers’ to the Dutch language, sing three folk songs about Antwerp and its harbour. They wrote their own lyrics, based on what they heard. The choir will perform during Museum Night and during the vernissage on Sunday 3 September.
Theatre + holiday workshop
The theatre takes over the museum hall! In the middle of the exhibition space, De Spiegel presents two performances for toddlers and preschoolers. Allemaal beestjes brings live music in a small cinema set-up, and Aorta is a dance performance for the little ones with music by Beethoven, Debussy and Schubert. Tickets are for sale via De Studio.
Finally, there are still a few places available for our holiday workshop in the week from 21 to 25 August. The participating children will have fun: first, they’ll create works of art; then, they’ll eat them, make them explode, and shoot at them or smash them.
We hope to see you this summer at the M HKA. Would you like to know more about the programme or about the practicalities of a visit? Just take a look at our website!
