Belgian Comic Strip Center
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| Belgian Comic Strip Center | |
|---|---|
| Name | Belgian Comic Strip Center |
| Native name | Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée |
| Location | Brussels, Belgium |
| Established | 1989 |
| Type | Museum |
| Architect | Victor Horta |
Belgian Comic Strip Center
The Belgian Comic Strip Center celebrates the art of comics through exhibits on creators, series, publishing houses, and cultural movements. It highlights figures such as Hergé, Peyo, Franquin, Morris, Willy Vandersteen and connects to institutions like the Royal Library of Belgium, Brussels City Hall, Bozar, Musée Magritte Museum and Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The Center forms a node in European comic heritage networks including L'Association (publisher), Dupuis, Casterman, Dargaud and engages with festivals such as Festival d'Angoulême, Brussels Comics Festival, Lucca Comics & Games and Comiket-influenced events.
History
The Center opened in 1989 after restoration initiatives involving figures like Hergé Foundation, Centre national de la bande dessinée et de l'image, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and patrons such as Paul-Henri Spaak and Herman Van Rompuy. Early exhibitions featured original art by Jacques Tardi, Moebius, Jean Giraud and archives from publishers Dupuis, Casterman, Le Lombard and Ediciones B. The project drew support from cultural ministers including Frank Vandenbroucke and municipal leaders from André Cools to Yvan Mayeur while collaborating with academic partners such as Université libre de Bruxelles, KU Leuven and University of Liège. Over decades the Center hosted retrospectives on creators like Tilman, Hugo Pratt, Enki Bilal, Joost Swarte and exhibitions co-curated with museums including Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris and archives like Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Building and Architecture
Housed in a restored nineteenth-century shopping arcade designed by Victor Horta, the building is an example of Art Nouveau heritage alongside landmarks such as Hôtel Tassel, Hôtel Solvay, Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles and the Grand-Place, Brussels. The restoration involved conservators from ICOMOS and craftsmen linked to European Heritage Days programs and heritage bodies including UNESCO and the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA). Architectural references compare the site to works by Antoni Gaudí, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Hendrik Petrus Berlage while interior design echoes display strategies from Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Victoria and Albert Museum and Smithsonian Institution.
Collections and Exhibitions
The permanent collection documents original pages, sketches, manuscripts and correspondence by artists such as Hergé, Peyo, Franquin, Morris, Willy Vandersteen, Jacques Martin, André Franquin, Albert Uderzo, René Goscinny, Jean-Claude Mézières, Philippe Druillet, Paul Cuvelier, Rene Hausman, Marcel Gotlib, Moebius, Enki Bilal, Tardi, Joost Swarte, Yvan Delporte, Ted Benoît, Sacha Goerg, Christophe and pieces from publishers Dupuis, Casterman, Dargaud, Le Lombard, Glénat and Cinebook. Temporary shows have spotlighted themes from Franco-Belgian comics to manga and graphic novels such as works by Alan Moore, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Art Spiegelman, Richard Corben and Joe Sacco. The Center hosts loans from institutions including Musée d'Ixelles, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Bibliothèque royale de Belgique and private collections of collectors like Jean-Marc Thévenet and Philippe Geluck. Cross-genre displays referenced film adaptations like Tintin (film series), The Smurfs (film), Asterix (film series) and exhibitions on contemporaries such as Emma Rios, Gipi, Taniguchi and Raina Telgemeier.
Educational Programs and Events
Educational initiatives partner with universities Université catholique de Louvain, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, schools such as École nationale supérieure des Arts visuels de La Cambre, and organizations like Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles cultural services. Programs include workshops led by cartoonists like Zep (cartoonist), Lewis Trondheim, Marjane Satrapi, Sergio Toppi and lecture series featuring critics and historians from Centre national de la bande dessinée et de l'image, Comic Studies Association and curators from Museum of Comic Art (MoCA). The Center organizes events coordinated with Festival d'Angoulême, Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, Bologna Children’s Book Fair and comic markets such as Marché de la Bande Dessinée de Bruxelles, and runs residency programs linked to Cité internationale des arts and exchange partnerships with institutions like Cartoonmuseum Basel and Stripmuseum (Groningen). Education also incorporates conservation training with Institut royal du patrimoine artistique and publishing seminars including representatives from Dargaud, Dupuis and Casterman.
Visitor Information
Located near Rue des Sables and accessible from Brussels-Central Station, the Center is within walking distance of Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, Manneken Pis, Mont des Arts and transport hubs Brussels Metro and SNCB/NMBS. Facilities include a library with catalogs from Casterman, Dupuis, Dargaud, a museum shop stocking works by Hergé, Peyo, Franquin, Mœbius and a café frequented by guests during Brussels Comics Fest. Opening hours, ticketing and guided tours often coordinate with festivals such as Festival d'Angoulême and city-wide events like Brussels Night Festival. Accessibility services reference standards from European Disability Forum and visitor policies align with best practices from ICOM and International Council on Monuments and Sites.