M is a museum and visual arts platform that makes meaningfulconnections across time, with society and betweenart disciplines. M realises its international ambitions from its base in Leuven, European capital of innovation.

With its mix of old and contemporary art in the historic centre of Leuven, M stands out. Top architect Stéphane Beel designed a sleek museum complex around the old Vander Kelen-Mertens city museum. The museum is also the ideal meeting place for young and old, complete with a central courtyard garden and a roof terrace that offers a breath-taking view of the Leuven skyline. M also has a second base, namely the historic St Peter’s Church. There, we present a unique series of artworks – including the iconic ‘The Last Supper’ by Dieric Bouts – to a wider audience.

M manages a collection of more than 53,000 objects. In addition to the historical art production in Leuven and Brabant, Belgian art after 1945 is also central: we present both masterpieces and new work by contemporary artists. Temporary exhibitions introduce visitors to lesser-known collection items, often in dialogue with loans from the international museum community.

M offers a unique mix of old and contemporary art, each from its own field of expertise and context. We are committed to transhistorical cooperation, both in the presentation of our exhibitions and through knowledge exchange with a worldwide network of specialists.

M is not only a centre of knowledge for medieval sculpture, but also a dynamic platform for contemporary art practices. It is the only collection-managing institution of both old and contemporary art in Belgium that also offers residencies for artists. This is in line with M’s active role in assisting artists in all stages of their artistic career from targeted support for starting artists to the production of new work by big names in the international art world who bring their work to a wider audience.

With each new production, M invites a wide audience to experience the unique power with which art and heritage enrich your world view. M uses this power to work with its audience and the community on sharpening their visual literacy. This way, M wants to strengthen and sharpen people’s vision in our visual society.

Aleksandra Chaushova

Anna Zacharoff

Dieter Durinck

Christiane Blattmann

Dirk Braeckman

Hilde Overbergh

Jan Vercruysse

Leyla Aydoslu

Laure Prouvost

Vincent Geyskens

Meggy Rustamova

Tina Gillen

Oriol Vilanova

Ria Pacquée

Hedwig Houben

Paul Casaer

Walter Swennen