KMSKA - Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp — Attraction in Antwerp

The art collection is fantastic, and the staff very friendly. But....the interior design is screaming for attention too much which is distracting the experience where one comes for: the artworks. First of all the entrance and ground floor: Everything is white white white, i have the feeling being in some 60s mental asylum. The toilets are difficult to find due to strange symbols instead of the standard ones and that you need sunglasses to navigate. And once you arrive to the toilets (follow the intense odor of pee smell) its difficult to choose which room to take. After five minutes walking around in confusion, one realizes that the toilets are unisex, so pick which one you like its all ok. Men can go to women's toilets because there is no gender mark, we are all the same according to the new toilet etiquette. Then, the locker room: to store your item you need to read a short manual to understand the procedure. I'm an IT guy, it took me 2 minutes to crack the code....i wonder how it is for the elderly. Also you have to remember the pin-code...but, i have to admit, there is a helpful poster telling people to take a picture of the number of your locker (missing addendum to also write down your code). Then when you had your relief and stored your items, find the elevator. Tip: there is a person at the end of the white corridor (bit like the key master in the Matrix), (s)he/them will scan your code and let you in the elevator. The Elevator. A cramped mirror box, going very very slow. For those with claustrophobia and other psychological problems, it is a challenge. For such a huge building, why...simply...why such a small elevator? The Floors, one can pick 1, 3 and 4 (what's on 2?). The floor plan is so minimalistic, no way one can figure out where to start. However, the lady at the entrance was very friendly and knowledgeable and knew perfectly to match my preferences to the collection (start at room 4 in my case). And why are there almost no benches to sit down and look at the works? Instead, on the ground floor there are many white booths, in the white room with white chairs and ceilings. Nobody sits there in their right mind, so maybe take some benches upstairs? The Artworks, beautiful and without glass protection (which is rare these days due to climate activists threatening innocent art for their cause). This is amazing. Looking close to a detailed work of Ensor is worth all the trouble.

So yes, it is definitely worth visiting but take sun-glasses and stay calm :-)

And, also, I am sincerely grateful to the Belgian government to make it possible to sponsor the display of wonderful artworks for the people. So, please forgive me...

As an Asian who has lived in France for six years, I had the pleasure of visiting your museum today, only to encounter some rather unreasonable treatment from one of your staff members. It even felt like a case of racial discrimination.

Now, let me tell you, the reason I came to Antwerp as a tourist was first and foremost because of your museum. Much like a Michelin three-star restaurant, your museum was the highlight of my trip and the reason I decided to visit your city.

Inside your museum, I discovered a unique stamp-collecting activity. It was such a refreshing idea! However, I only found out about it during the last half hour of my visit. Determined to make the most of my time, I rushed to collect the stamps, and at 4:50 PM, I arrived at the final stamp station. That’s when one of your staff members stopped me. She accused me of being rude and not following her instructions.

But to be honest, I was just an excited tourist trying to finish the activity—missing the final stamp would have been heartbreaking for me. Yet, she seemed determined to stop me, as though she’d take pleasure in seeing me fail to complete the collection. She wielded her authority, granted by the museum, with a sense of satisfaction, as if controlling someone else’s fate was a source of joy.

Thankfully, a kind security guard stepped in and solved the problem in two seconds. That truly lifted my spirits and saved my day.

In the end, I’d like to emphasize that I completely understand everyone’s eagerness to finish work and go home. However, in the final ten minutes of the day, perhaps a little more patience and kindness towards visitors could go a long way. After all, we came here because of the reputation of your museum, and we hope to leave with a sense of joy, not...

Gone are the days you would enter a museum, walk up to the desk, buy a ticket and go in. I expected to walk up the majestic stairs outside to go through the grand entrance doors, but instead I was directed by many signs and arrows to go through a small side door. A lady sat on a chair in an empty room. I showed her my museum pass and she told me to go to 1 of 2 large touch screens to get a ticket. I went through the many choices before finally the machine spat out a ticket. Then I had to walk through a hallway at the end of which 2 ladies told me I had to leave my tote bag in an adjacent room in an automated locker. Long story short, I was directed by 3 more people to an unclear gate where my ticket was scanned and after a 20 minute or so process, I could finally get in. I found it all to be convoluted and certainly not straightforward.

The renovated building is beautiful and impressive. The art collection is marvelous, but I found the presentation to be a bit haphazard. I am sure a lot of thought and work goes into organizing the display of these art works, but unfortunately it didn't feel like that at all.

I don't like the trend to paste QR codes next to a work and be done with it. I go to a museum, wishing to look at the art pieces and not at my phone screen. Information pasted on the wall next to or under a painting is certainly useful, and a QR code can be added for more information if the visitor wants or needs it.

Overall I love art, which made my visit great, because it is a fabulous collection in a wonderful building. But there were definitely slightly annoying elements that detracted from...