Flanders Museum Boom: Five New and Renovated Destinations from Bruges to Ghent
The Flemish art scene is undergoing a transformation with the opening or reopening of five museums. In Bruges, Brusk, crafted by Robbrecht & Daem, hosts rotating exhibitions from thirteen local institutions, including Jan van Eyck's 1439 Portrait of Margareta van Eyck. Additionally, Refik Anadol's AI piece 'Latent City' and the autumn exhibit 'Hoogtij' link the city's maritime heritage with modern art. In Kortrijk, the expanded Abby by Tab Architects and Barozzi Veiga emphasizes landscapes by Roelant Savery, focusing on biodiversity and ecofeminism. The Design Museum Gent is set to reopen on 3 October 2026, featuring a 3D-printed entrance and 'Public Matter(s)'. Meanwhile, MAP – Mercator in Sint-Niklaas reopened in late 2025, examining the impact of maps on perceptions. This summer, the Roger Raveel Museum reopened, highlighting Raveel's depictions of rural life.
Key facts
- Brusk, a new art hall designed by Robbrecht & Daem Architecten, opened in Bruges' historic center, hosting rotating shows from 13 Bruges museums.
- Jan van Eyck's Portrait of Margareta van Eyck (1439) is displayed alongside Arabic optical manuscripts and an astrolabe from Isfahan in Brusk's 'Breedbeeld' exhibition.
- Refik Anadol created 'Latent City', an AI-driven video installation based on Bruges' museum image archives.
- Abby in Kortrijk, a former Cistercian monastery, added a 12-meter-high black volume by Tab Architects and Barozzi Veiga.
- The Design Museum Gent reopens on 3 October 2026 with a 3D-printed aluminum entrance and a new collection presentation called 'Models from the Past for the Future'.
- MAP – Mercator in Sint-Niklaas, reopened in late 2025, displays Gerard Mercator's original globes and a rare Lafreri atlas.
- The Roger Raveel Museum in Machelen-aan-de-Leie reopened after summer renovations, housed in a building by Stéphane Beel.
- The museumPASSmusées pass grants access to over 270 Belgian museums, including all five featured destinations.
- KMSKA in Antwerp, featuring Rubens, Ensor, and the Flemish Primitives, is recommended as an addition to the route.
Entities
Artists
- Jan van Eyck
- Refik Anadol
- Roelant Savery
- Gerard Mercator
- Roger Raveel
- Stéphane Beel
- Jeroen Junte
- Peter Paul Rubens
- James Ensor
Institutions
- Museumtijdschrift
- Brusk
- Groeningemuseum
- Museum Sint-Janshospitaal
- Abby
- Design Museum Gent
- MAP – Mercator
- Roger Raveel Museum
- KMSKA
- museumPASSmusées
- Robbrecht & Daem Architecten
- Tab Architects
- Barozzi Veiga
Locations
- Bruges
- Belgium
- Kortrijk
- Ghent
- Sint-Niklaas
- Machelen-aan-de-Leie
- Antwerp
- Rupelmonde
- Zulte
- Isfahan
- Iran
- Leie
- Flanders