Youth developing new concept for BELvue Museum

The BELvue Museum in Brussels (pictured), which recounts the history of Belgium, has launched a new project that will see its permanent exhibition completely altered. The museum will close this November, and reopen with the new look next year on 21 July, Belgium’s national day.

The museum, located in the centre next to the royal palace, has invited a team of 20 people under the age of 25 to participate in the process of creating and developing the museum’s new concept and layout. Because of many school group visits, 40% of the visitors to the museum are young people, said the museum’s manager, An Lavens.

“Whether we’re talking about the museum itself or about activities associated with the museum and its exhibitions,” she said, “young people are our main target group, so it seemed only natural for us to involve them in re-designing the new BELvue Museum.”

The group, dubbed the BELvue Bende (the BELvue Gang) has been on the job for several months already, brainstorming ideas, visiting other museums and polling visitors to BELvue, which also hosts temporary exhibitions as well as the permanent timeline of the history of the country. The BELvue Bende is also organising the museum’s participation in next month’s city-wide Museum Night.

The new BELvue will better reflect Belgium’s changing society. “Our country has a young and tumultuous history, and our society is witnessing rapid change,” said Lavens. “We feel it is important that a museum about Belgium also reflects the society in which we live.”

photo courtesy Brussels Museums