Brussels (Brussels Morning) – The MAS Museum’s exhibition in Antwerp showcases the Belgica’s Antarctic expedition. It highlights crew survival, pioneering scientific research, and Belgium’s ongoing contributions to polar science and climate change awareness.
How Did the Belgica Crew Survive Antarctica’s Harsh Winter?
The new exhibition extended at the MAS Museum in Antwerp and concentrates on the research ship Belgica. The ship left Antwerp for the last blind spot on the world map: Antarctica. The crew got stuck in the ice and managed to endure for a year in the cold. But they persisted in pioneering scientific research and made a record.
Logs of the crew, stunning photographs and authentic details of the ship bring this incredible adventure back to life. The exhibition tells how the men worked to survive, who followed in their footsteps, and what Antarctica is like today.
How Does the MAS Museum Exhibit Honor Belgica’s Legacy?
The young, international team of the Belgica, under the authority of Adrien de Gerlache, was the first to overwinter in Antarctica after the ship was entangled in the ice and it would take the journey 15 months until it could return to Belgium. They had to stay there in the icy cold for a year. They fell ill due to poor nourishment and had an extra hard time mentally during the long polar nights without daylight. Determined, they persisted in pioneering scientific research: they mapped new places with Belgian-sounding names and contained unknown fauna and flora.
“My first expedition to Antarctica was a commemoration of the centenary of this event,” stated Alain Hubert, co-founder of the International Polar Foundation, which founded and built the Belgian “Princess Elisabeth Station”, in an interview in 2017. “I’m glad the International Polar Foundation was able to contribute to such an interesting exhibition,” he expressed at the opening of the exhibition. “The public can understand about Belgium’s rich history in Antarctica, especially when it comes to our history in polar science.”
“When the Belgica overwintered in Antarctica, it was the first time scientists were capable of doing research on Earth’s southernmost mainland during the austral winter (June through August in the southern hemisphere),” he said. He repeatedly warned against the planetary catastrophe if the sea level would increase as a result of the melting of the ice in Antarctica.
“The Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, which the International Polar Foundation created and now operates on behalf of the Belgian State, persists Belgium’s long history of supporting polar science, which is important in helping us understand climate change.”
How Does the Exhibition Highlight Antarctica’s Current Issues?
The museum offers some authentic pieces from its cluster, such as the ship’s wheel and crow’s nest, sledges and clothing, and the frost saws used to free the ship from the ice. The organ, on which Belgium’s national anthem, The Brabanconne, recreates time and again during the dark daytimes on board, has also been maintained.
Antarctica remains a stunning place. This is palpable in the last space of the expo, where impressive contemporary video portraits make visitors pause to consider the Antarctic today. The exhibition includes also art. Dutch artist Esther Kokmeijer invites visitors to reflect on Antarctica and the connection of man and politics towards this piece of pristine nature. In her work Terra Nullius, she calls for awareness of Antarctica’s geopolitical protected position.
Antarctica does not belong to any nation- although some governments have territorial claims to this extensive continent of 14 million km2 – and no passport is needed to go there. Belgium was one of the initial 12 signatories to the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.
