Adieu Tervuren

November 21, 2013

As stated before, the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren (RMCA) will be closing for (at least) 3 years the end of this month. Today I visited it one last time. While the museum was trembling due to the drillings outside, the famous stuffed elephant was already being prepared for its coming journey..

 

MRAC Elephant

 

If you thought that was a difficult object to move, check this 30 meter long canoe..

 

MRAC Canoe

 

Some of the fish on display can use some fresh water..

 

MRAC Fish

 

The rhinos already had their horns removed out of fear of theft – which was just a sad view..

 

MRAC Rhino

 

I wonder if they will still display this giant block of tropical wood after the renovation.

 

MRAC Wood block

 

The museum will reuse the display cases, and this is what they will look like:

 

MRAC Display case

 

Possibly the only museum in the world that documents its own reorganisation through contemporary African painting.

 

Mrac painting

 

TIP: The museum’s shop is selling out and they had uncovered a major stash of old Africa-Tervuren magazines. These are impossible to find (most likely because the majority was never actually sold apparently) and when you find one, they tend to sell for a lot of money. Each magazine was 50 cent (!) – many of them feature very interesting articles. I took what I could carry, but there are still many left..

 

MRAC Magazines

(all images: BC)

About the author

Bruno Claessens

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