Curated Guided Tour Antwerp á la Carte Expo
October 14 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Food shapes our cities, a process that has been going on for centuries. A guide will show you the surprising, tortuous and often invisible trail of the food chain through Antwerp.
Join Leen Beyers, curator at the MAS Museum, for a special guided tour of Antwerp à la Carte, an exhibition that explores how food has shaped the city’s identity across centuries. From bustling markets and international trade to migration, hospitality and everyday dining, the exhibition reveals how Antwerp’s rich culinary heritage reflects its history as one of Europe’s most important port cities.
Through historical menus, cookbooks, artworks, objects and personal stories, Antwerp à la Carte uncovers the many ways food connects people, cultures and communities. It invites visitors to look beyond what is on the table and discover the social, cultural and economic forces that have influenced what—and how—we eat.
The supply of products from the countryside – whether locally or from overseas – to the city; the lively sale of these goods in markets and in shops; dining out in the city, whether in the elegant hotels of yesteryear or in the contemporary snack bar… and the trail that food follows – often in the form of human waste – from the city back to the countryside.
At the end of the exhibition it is time to envisage the future. How will cities continue to feed themselves now that people around the world increasingly leave rural areas for the city?
As part of EDIBLE Antwerp 2026, this exclusive curator-led tour provides the perfect introduction to the festival’s central themes: food as culture, identity, memory and a catalyst for dialogue. The exhibition offers valuable historical context for the conversations, installations and experiences presented throughout EDIBLE, demonstrating how Antwerp’s food landscape has continuously evolved through exchange, innovation and diversity.
Whether you’re passionate about food history, design, museums or simply curious about Antwerp’s unique relationship with food, this is a rare opportunity to experience the exhibition through the insights of its curator and gain a deeper understanding of the city that hosts EDIBLE.
Duration: Approximately 90 minutes
Language: English