Top exhibitions

Musea Brugge is a great name in the world of international museums and guarantees a diverse range of exhibitions and collection displays. Ranging from the best works from the Flemish Masters to new creations, often inspired by the permanent collection. Take a look here to see a selection of exhibitions that should not be missed.

• Mind the artist
  The artists of Bruges have been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis, so Musea Brugge has launched a new series of festivals to give them a forum for just over a year. Until the beginning of 2022, seven artists will be given a unique opportunity to develop a project with a link to the museum collection – an inspiring dialogue between contemporary and old(er) art. 
  
  
• Tales from the underground. Bruges in the year 1000.
  (9/12/2021 – 27/10/2023)
  Archaeologists and historians now see the year 1000 as a key moment in Bruges' development. The exhibition in the attic of the Gruuthusemuseum shows the most important archaeological sites in and around the city and brings together a collection of top finds from the region. Artefacts such as whale bone, skates, jewellery and a bear skull bring the stories to life.
  
  
• Underneath the Shade We Lay Grounded. Otobong Nkanga
  (25/06/2022 - 25/09/2022)
  Visual and performance artist Otobong Nkanga (1974 – Kano, Nigeria) is regarded worldwide as one of the most promising contemporary artists of the moment. In this exceptional exhibition she creates a dialogue between her artworks, both new and existing, and selected pieces from the museum collection, offering a landscape that invites visitors to linger and contemplate. Nkanga interweaves various forms of media such as installation, sculpture, drawing, tapestry, performance and poetry. This exhibition is being held in the historic Sint-Janshospitaal, both on the ground floor and in the imposing wooden attic.
  
  
• Face to Face with Death. Hugo van der Goes, old masters and new interpretations
  (28/10/2022 - 05/02/2023)
  'The Death of the Virgin, one of the most important works in Musea Brugge's world famous collection of Flemish Primitive art, was subjected to an intensive process of restoration. This masterpiece features both literally and figuratively as the central point in this outstanding exhibition in the Sint-Janshospitaal. By exploring six different themes, this exhibition will take a deeper look at 'The Death of the Virgin'. Each theme will be developed with reference to other great masterpieces, from the own collection and brought together from all over the world (including Hans Memling, Jan Provoost and Albrecht Bouts). Also sculptures, manuscripts and pieces of music are used to bring visitors face to face with death in its different forms. Each theme is also further elaborated by a contemporary 'master’.