Africa Museum in Tervuren gets a makeover
The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), which is currently undergoing renovation, will reopen in June 2018. In addition to the building and the lobby, the refurbishment will include the collection housed in this ‘memorial’ that lays bare Belgium’s colonial past. Decolonisation is a central theme of this museum, which together with academics from the African communities in Belgium, provides a dynamic platform for research and dialogue, and a meeting place for visitors of different generations and cultures.
The public building dates from 1910. Despite its unusual charm, the former infrastructure did not suit the requirements of a modern museum. The permanent collection was very dated, and clashed with the temporary exhibitions dedicated to current collections and academic research.
Museum Director Guido Gryseels confirms the updated Museum for Central Africa will lose none of its soul: ‘The way in which the building has regained its original glory, the restoration of the murals, the marble and the display cases … it’s really exceptional.’