Belgian Comic Strip Center celebrates 25th anniversary
The Belgian Comic Strip Center (BSC) celebrated its 25th anniversary on 4 and 5 October 2014. The BSC, with an impressive 4,200 m², is not only the biggest comic strip museum in Europe, but also the biggest reference library of comics on the continent. There are more than 60,000 comic strips and thousands of frames available for fans to admire. Each year the BSC has more than 200,000 visitors, and is, in fact, far more than just a museum; it is also a storage area for original drawings and publications, a centre for documentation and a scientific and educational centre.
On the occasion of the museum’s 25th anniversary, a fun area was developed, dedicated to the Smurfs and their founding father Peyo. Besides the ‘Smurf zone’ the museum also boasts a variety of permanent exhibitions, like 'the invention of the comic strip', the 'art of the comic strip' and a Tintin and Boerke area, where the works of Hergé and Pieter de Poortere respectively can be admired.
In addition, the museum always has temporary exhibitions to be admired, with a focus on the different movements in the so-called 9th art form, as well as on latest developments in the area. The latest exhibition focuses on the museum's home town. ‘Picturing Brussels’ takes you on an artistic journey through different parts of the city, using the works of comic strip artists who, in the last 25 years, have illustrated the Brussels of their time. From over 130 documents we can discover the evolution in the artists' focus, from the décor and events to the inhabitants of the capital city.
The museum can be found near the Brussels 'Grand Place' and Royal park in a beautiful building, designed by Victor Horta and originally used as a textile warehouse. We can learn more about the history of this building in a separate area on the mezzanine. In 2014, the Belgian newspaper Le Soir ranked the museum n°7 in the top 10 monuments, making Brussels a trendy destination for city trippers.
All exhibitions are presented in three languages: Dutch, French and English. Also, brochures are available in German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Chinese. So everyone is catered for. During the jubilee weekend, entry was free for all those born in 1989.
For those who don't make it to Brussels: the museum also has travelling exhibits, which are often kept at Belgian Embassies. To be continued.