INDOC. Documentation Centre about Art and Nature

Middelheim Museum

The first written references to Middelheim date to the year 1342, and the first landowner that can still be traced was Laureys Van Aerschot, who owned both the castle and the surrounding lands.

In 1910 the estate was bought by the Municipality of Antwerp. A public park was created and parts of the grounds were made available for the construction of a hospital, a university, and a pastoral and theological centre.

In 1950 an international sculpture exhibition was organised for the first time in the Middelheim Park and the town council decided to create an open-air sculpture museum. A major summer sculpture biennial was held on the grounds from 1951 to 1989.

In 1993 Antwerp became the European Capital of Culture and the museum took a new direction. The acquisition budget was used to purchase works by acclaimed contemporary artists. In 2000 the park was extended to cover a total of 27 hectares and a new storage room designed by architect Stéphane Beel was opened.

The collection

The museum collection includes 480 sculptures and 600 drawings and prints, most executed by sculptors.

Around 300 sculptures are sited at the park; 200 are exhibited in the open-air spaces and ten can be seen at various locations in the city of Antwerp. A selection of smaller pieces is on display at a pavilion designed by architect Renaat Braeme.

The collection includes sculptures by artists such as Pablo Gargallo, Henri Laurens, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore.

Twice a year the museum organises a temporary exhibition, and an extensive programme of workshops and guided tours is offered.

The documentation centre

The Mayor Lode Craeybeckx Documentation Centre, located in the heart of Middelheim Park, administers the collection of documentary materials built up by the museum over the years.
The collection currently consists of 60,000 publications on the plastic arts from Rodin onwards.

The documentation centre primarily supports the operation of the museum by providing information to scientific assistants and guides. It is also open to researchers, students and anyone interested in contemporary art and sculpture.
 

More information and contact

Middelheim Museum

Middelheimlaan 61
2020 Antwerpen

Tel.+32 3 827 15 34
Fax +32 3 825 28 35

E-mail:  middelheimmuseum@stad.antwerpen.be

• Middelheim Museum Website

Source: texts, CDAN, Based on information provided by the museum; photos downloaded from the Middelheim Museum website. The photo at the top of the page shows Two Figures for Middelheim by Juan Muñoz; the photo at the bottom of the page, the documentation centre, and the photo on the cover page, King and Queen by Henry Moore.

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