Venue
ZAAL ATHENA
“A Historic Gem in the Heart of Antwerp”
Our home is one of Antwerp’s most iconic and historic locations — a venue known for its beauty, atmosphere, and perfect acoustics.
📍Just 30 minutes from Brussels Airport and steps from the city center and main train stations, it’s the perfect setting to live your tango dream.
AthenA Hall is located in the heart of Antwerp, on Rooseveltplaats. Central Station and Rooseveltplaats bus station are just a stone’s throw away, as are Roosevelt Parking, De Keyser Parking, Opera Parking, and Breidel Parking.
Just 30 minutes by train from Brussels Airport.
ABOUT THE LOCATION
Art occupies a prominent place in the AthenA Gallery. Luc Tuymans’s “München,” created specifically for the AthenA Gallery, is a work that deeply resonates with the viewer and leaves an indelible impression. A mural by Lawrence Weiner, the preserved Allegory of Fame, and a presentation on the Virgin of Antwerp by the MAS are also part of the permanent art collection in AthenA Gallery.
Munich – Luc Tuymans
Blue, large, and menacing. There she stands, in a niche above one of the gates of the AthenA Gallery. No one knows who or what lies behind the mask of the figure painted by artist Luc Tuymans.
The work is based on an image Luc Tuymans stumbled upon. An androgynous figure in a film about the Munich Carnival in 1933, right in front of the Haus der Kunst. As a viewer, you have no way to penetrate the character’s psychology. It’s about identity and mistaken identity.
This total seclusion forms a beautiful counterpoint to Franz Vinck’s Allegory of Fame.
The Allegory of Fame – Franz Vinck
Nine of Franz Vinck’s ten paintings – two ensembles of five canvases each – were lost in the fire. Among the destroyed scenes is The Virgin of Antwerp. Only its literal counterpart, The Allegory of Fame, remains unscathed.
The arts and sciences are not easy subjects for any painter. Vinck opted for an allegorical approach. On the west side, Vinck glorified Commerce, specifically the colonization of Congo, and Science. The Virgin of Antwerp stood in the center, enveloping Education, which she protects, in the broad folds of her cloak. At her feet are grouped Art, Commerce, and Ingenuity.