Brussels Pride Museum temporarily opens in Mima building

The Brussels Pride Museum, which has existed only digitally since January, is to have a temporary physical home this month, with the eventual goal to become “a permanent cultural institution in the heart of Brussels”.

From 15 June, the LGBTQIA+ initiative will present a month-long programme of wide-ranging activities including art exhibitions, spectacles and workshops in the former Mima contemporary art museum on Quai du Hainaut in Molenbeek.

“With the temporary project What About Queer? we want to give queer artists and collectives the space to show their work and enter into a dialogue through art,” the museum’s co-founder Giorgi Tabagari told Bruzz.

Plans for a permanent museum are still under development, but with What About Queer?, the organisation is already giving the public a glimpse of what the museum will offer in future.

"During our month at Mima, there will not only be an exhibition," Tabagari said. "We will also organise performances, talks, artistic interventions and workshops."

The Brussels Pride Museum is not only about rainbows or aesthetics, but also about activism and political engagement. This is no different with the temporary project at Mima.

“In a period of growing political hostility, in which speaking about gender, identity and rights is increasingly under pressure, What About Queer? symbolises a collective act of resilience and resistance,” Tabagari added.

And he said that Mima was the perfect location for the museum, “a fantastic place with a cultural history in one of the most diverse districts of Brussels”.

Discussions are continuing to see if the museum can stay longer in the Mima building. In the meantime, the search for a permanent location continues.

Launched in January, Brussels Pride Museum describes itself “an international queer initiative… conceived as a living, breathing space that reflects the realities of queer experiences – diverse, complex, beautiful, and powerful.

“Rooted in the legacy of resistance and resilience, the Pride Museum amplifies silenced voices, reclaims erased histories, and unites queer perspectives that transcend borders.

“Through a distinctly queer gaze, we seek to reclaim history, celebrate culture, and provide a platform for ideas that shape our future.

“Queer art is inherently political, and so will be the Pride Museum. With the global rise of authoritarianism and the anti-gender movements, we find it important to dedicate our space for collective responses to the growing threats on fundamental human rights.”

The full programme of events and opening hours for What About Queer? will be announced shortly.