However, the museum management had to decide last year to schedule the closure of the establishment, due to a sharp drop in attendance after the closure of the road leading to the site. The museum reported a contraction in the number of visitors of more than 50% during the summer. “This situation has jeopardized the economic viability of the institution,” management said in a press release. She deplored the uncertainty around the duration of the work on the roads, which could take two years.
The museum was unable to obtain financial support from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which confirmed at the beginning of October that it could not “extend resources” to maintain the establishment. “On the other hand, working with them, looking for solutions in collaboration, and supporting them, obviously we will do our best,” declared Minister-President Élisabeth Degryse (Les Engagés). MIMA also looked for solutions to continue its activities, but none could be found before this date.
The museum will close definitively at 7:00 p.m., with the end of the “Multitude” exhibition by street artist Alexandre Farto alias Vhils. For the occasion, the Portuguese designer marked his presence in Brussels by creating a mural on a facade on rue Léopold.
