22/10/2021 - 16/01/2022

Imagining the Universe is part of Leuven’s KNAL! Big Bang City Festival, which focuses on the fascination with the cosmos and its impact on science and culture. The exhibition tells the story of man’s fascination with the cosmos and how this is reflected in the visual arts and thought up until the 19th century. The visitor is taken through history and discovers the answers that were formulated in the Middle Ages and early modern times to the fundamental questions about our origins.

Imagining the Universe portrays the enduring wonder and ongoing search for insights into the origins of the universe and mankind in this immeasurable system. Selected masterpieces from national and international collections then how, across time, space and cultures, broad answers to various, fundamental questions surrounding the origin of man have been conceived, expressed, depicted, embraced and rejected. You’ll also discover two fascinating loans from our collection!