Exhibitions and more in Antwerp this autumn
Newsletter - september '25
This autumn, Antwerp is presenting a number of exhibitions with compelling narratives. From the invisible but indispensable businesswomen behind the printing presses in Museum Plantin-Moretus, via the power and complexity of GIRLS in MoMu, to the colourful avant-garde art of pioneer Marthe Donas in the KMSKA.
Women’s business/Businesswomen
Museum Plantin-Moretus, 13/9/’25 – 11/1/’26
Starting on Saturday 13 September, Museum Plantin-Moretus will be telling the stories of 300 years of women in the publishing house and family home. Versatile women who were indispensable and omnipresent in the family business, but who largely remained invisible to the public. Because without them, there was no Plantin & Moretus.
The exhibition tells the story of a number of women who, for nine generations, lived, worked and resided in the printer’s home on the Vrijdagmarkt. The printing house was a typical family business with enterprising businesswomen, devoted homemakers, active daughters, master printers, a multitude of employees, apprentices and domestic servants.
GIRLS. On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between
Momu, 27/9/’25 – 1/2/’26
GIRLS explores the beauty and complexity of girlhood. How is girlhood represented? How is it remembered? And how does the idea of “the girl” continue to shape our visual culture and fashion? Through the eyes of the artists, designers, photographers and filmmakers, in this exhibition girlhood is more than just a theme but a way of seeing - of remembering and imagining.
GIRLS is an inclusive and interdisciplinary project that brings together visual artists, fashion designers, photographers, costume designers and filmmakers. It came about in conversation with teenagers of today. Works by Louise Bourgeois, Veronique Branquinho, Edgar Degas, Jim Britt, Sofia Coppola, Martin Margiela, Meryll Rogge, Ashley Williams and many others are featured.
Donas, Archipenko & La Section d'Or. Enchanting Modernism
KMSKA, 4/11/2025 – 11/1/2026
Let the colour, shape and movement of Antwerp artist Marthe Donas’ modernism enchant you. For the first time, an exhibition shows her central role in the international avant-garde, alongside the work of her partner at the time, Ukrainian sculptor Alexander Archipenko. Side by side, they take their innovations to a higher level. Surrounded by masterpieces by artist friends such as Mondrian, Modigliani, Goncharova and Vassilieff, the oeuvre and story of this forgotten leading lady offer a glimpse into a modernism that is colourful, groundbreaking and surprisingly gender-diverse.
Antwerp updates...
- Winter in Antwerp: the Antwerp Christmas Market will be taking place between Friday 5 December 2025 and Sunday 4 January 2026. This year, once again, visitors can enjoy 6 squares featuring an ice rink with a winter bar, thousands of lights and, of course, the traditional Christmas trees and nativity scene. New this year is the winter bistro curated by Devin by Sepi, which will take place on the beautiful Hendrik Conscienceplein.
- Last spring, the Financial Times published not one, but two articles about our city, praising respectively our dynamic culinary scene and the beautiful garden of the Rubens House.
- In July, Museum Plantin-Moretus celebrated its 20th anniversary on Unesco’s exclusive World Heritage List. The museum received the prestigious recognition at the time thanks to its exceptional heritage value: the combination of a majestic printer’s residence with the world’s only remaining pre-industrial printing and publishing house still in its original state.
- Antwerp wine producer Wijnfaktorij, whose wines are served in Michelin-starred establishments in Belgium and well beyond, is going to age 900 bottles of Antwerp-produced wine in Het Steen, our city’s oldest building. The wine will be bottled in 2026.
- The renowned US travel magazine Travel + Leisure has named five-star hotel Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp in Leopoldstraat as one of the ten best resorts in Europe.
- Napoleon in Virtual Reality: In the Palace in Meir - once owned by the emperor himself - history comes to life this autumn, thanks to a collaboration between Herita and Sandora. Relive his triumphs and defeats from the front row in a stunning VR experience.
- The best pints in Belgium can be found at De Vischmijn. The almost 100-year-old pub is a splendid example of our traditional cosy pub culture. On 25 August, the pub’s operator was awarded the Perfect Serve Award 2025 by Stella Artois.
- Reopening Mercator Orteliushuis: this historic building in Antwerp is one of the best-preserved urban villas from the 16th century. Starting in September 2025, Urban Mapping is organising a unique, innovative and immersive exhibition there with video projections about the city during its Golden Age.