The renovation began in the autumn of 2011 to put KAAN Architects’ master plan into practice. The historic building has regained its grandeur, while a brand-new museum volume has been inserted at the core.
In the historic galleries, you get to see art created before 1880, in the white halls you can enjoy art created after 1880. The link between the two is the Ensor wing, which houses the largest James Ensor collection in the world. In total, the KMSKA displays over 600 works, carefully selected from a collection of 8,400 pieces.
The KMSKA has inherited a fine collection of top items from, among others, the Guild of Saint Luke and the Antwerp Academy. Purchases, donations and bequests have supplemented this basis. The collection received a major boost in 1840, when the art collector and knight Florent van Ertborn bequeathed artistic gems by the likes of Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling and Jean Fouquet. The former mayor of Antwerp left 144 paintings to the museum in his native city.
However, a collection is never fully complete. That is why the KMSKA is supplementing the collection with relevant pieces from other institutions and private collectors. From Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen - which has closed for renovation - the KMSKA received eight masterpieces on loan for a period of five years. These works of art by Salvador Dalí, Bill Viola, Oskar Kokoschka and others challenge visitors to look differently at the pieces in the collection of the museum. This also applies to the contemporary art that was selectively integrated into the galleries, such as the work of Luc Tuymans, Marlene Dumas and Berlinde De Bruyckere.
When the museum closed in 2011, the restoration studio moved to a studio outside Antwerp. Here, the studio ran as never before. One hundred and thirty-three paintings and sculptures received conservation treatment. Extra attention was paid to works on paper, and to frames. The restoration studio has now returned to the museum. Since it will be publicly accessible, the studio will offer a unique insight into the work of the restorers.
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