Brussels Museum Reopens With Increased Security Following Terrorist Attacks

The Bozar Museum has few visitors, but high hopes.

Bozar Museum.
Photo: Courtesy of Bozar Museum's Instagram.

The Centre for Fine Arts Brussels, commonly referred to as Bozar, reopened its doors on Wednesday morning following a citywide lockdown after Tuesday’s terrorist attacks, reports Artforum. The museum opened at 10 a.m. “with additional security measures in place,” reads the museum’s Facebook post.

Visitors trickled in Wednesday, but traffic has since picked up on the museum’s second day of re-opening. “We have less visitors for our exhibitions than usual,” Bozar press officer Leen Daems told artnet News in an email. “We sense that people are still very shocked. However, today we already had more visitors than yesterday, so we hope we’re able to reassure our public with the safety measures so life in Brussels can be back to normal as soon as possible.”

Bozar Museum Brussels.

Bozar Museum Brussels.
Photo: Courtesy of the Bozar Museum Brussels.

Visitors can expect to go through metal detectors and check in their bags and belongings into assigned lockers, according to museum representatives. The flags at the institution, which famed Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta designed in 1928, remain at half staff.

A number of shows are currently on view, including a selection of Rembrandt van Rijn’s etchings in “Rembrandt in Black & White;” an exhibition dedicated to fellow Dutch artist Theo van Doesburg titled “A New Expression of Life, Art and Technology;” and a show exploring French artist Daniel Buren’s multimedia (and multifaceted) practice in “A Fresco.”

The museum’s decision follows a public gathering on the day of the attacks, which found Brussels’s citizens inscribing their thoughts with multi-colored chalk on the stock exchange square.


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.