After years of anticipation, Kanal-Centre Pompidou is finally opening its doors to the public! And to mark the occasion, the new Brussels museum is thinking big: from Saturday, November 28 at 10 a.m. to Sunday, November 29 at 10 p.m., its first weekend will be completely free.
10 exhibitions and more than 350 works
You’ll still need to book a time slot to visit the ten inaugural exhibitions. Among them, “A Truly Immense Journey” will bring together more than 350 works drawn primarily from the collections of the Centre Pompidou and Kanal, as well as other Belgian public and private collections. The exhibition will feature works by Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian, Giacometti, and Lygia Clark, alongside contemporary artists such as Sammy Baloji, Edith Dekyndt, and Aglaia Konrad.
But Kanal doesn’t want to be just a place where people come to look at art. During this opening weekend, the building’s public spaces will be accessible without a reservation, featuring concerts, DJ sets, performances, films, installations, and workshops.
A museum where you can also play and stroll
Housed in the former Citroën complex, Kanal sees itself as a true “city within a city.” Highlights include a 700-square-meter indoor playground designed by the Assemble collective for children ages 4 and up, as well as spaces for working, reading, learning, or simply taking a break.
And the building itself promises to be an attraction: its former glass-and-steel showroom will be transformed into a vast covered public space, while a freely accessible terrace will offer views of Brussels.
Before anyone else, nearly 5,000 students from 27 schools will get a first look at Kanal on November 25. Three days later, it will be the general public’s turn to explore the venue. And for this first weekend, there’s no need to set aside a museum budget: all you need to do is book a time slot if you want to see the exhibitions.
