More than 100 Antwerp residents and city enthusiasts have photographed the city with disposable cameras for ‘Antwerp Unfiltered‘, a free exhibition opening at Het Steen (Stone Castle) on Sunday 27 September 2026. The exhibition brings together a selection of more than 3,000 analogue photographs showing Antwerp from the participants’ personal perspectives.
The project took place in spring 2026, when more than 100 people were given a disposable camera and asked to photograph Antwerp as they see and experience it. The participants came from a wide range of backgrounds and included influencers, city hosts, photographers and city employees.
The resulting photographs range from favourite cafés and flower shops to museums, streets and less familiar viewpoints. Together, they offer a personal portrait of the city rather than a conventional collection of tourist images.
Antwerp without filters
The exhibition deliberately focuses on analogue photography. The disposable cameras offered none of the editing options associated with smartphones or professional cameras, leaving room for chance and spontaneity.
The organisers say this approach resulted in an unfiltered view of Antwerp, bringing together the different ways in which residents and visitors experience the city.
“What makes this exhibition so special is that a hundred people from Antwerp each show, in their own way, why they love this city,” said Antwerp Alderman for Tourism Koen Kennis (N-VA). “No two photographs are the same, yet they are all about the same thing: pride in Antwerp. For people who have lived here for years, it is an invitation to rediscover the city. For visitors, it is the most beautiful introduction you could wish for.”
Antwerp through five senses
‘Antwerp Unfiltered’ is organised around five senses: ‘See Your Antwerp‘, ‘Hear Your Antwerp‘, ‘Taste Your Antwerp‘, ‘Feel Your Antwerp‘, and ‘Smell Your Antwerp‘.
The exhibition uses the photographs as a starting point for a broader sensory journey through the city, with the aim of encouraging visitors to explore Antwerp for themselves.
Jo Franco, a participant in the project and a Netflix travel guide, said: “Photographing Antwerp, a timeless city, in its pure and unfiltered form shows how special this place is. No filters, no editing, just the typical cosy magic waiting for you around every corner.”
The ‘Antwerp Unfiltered’ exhibition opens at Het Steen on Sunday 27 September and runs until the end of January 2027. Admission is free.
Art and museums in Antwerp
- ANTWERP | FOMU to open three new exhibitions by Graciela Iturbide, Léonard Pongo and Lola Pertsowsky.
- PHOTOS | Behind The Scenes tour of the Antwerp opera house.
- Medieval Antwerp comes to life with archaeological exhibition at Het Steen.
- ANTWERP | ‘Antony Gormley. Geestgrond’ opens at KMSKA as the most comprehensive solo exhibition of the artist in Europe.
- Opera Ballet Vlaanderen unveils ‘À la flamande’ 2026–2027 season.
- ANTWERP | What if colours could sing? Masterpieces by Ensor, Wouters and Schmalzigaugnsor, Wouters and Schmalzigaug’, from 11 April to 30 August 2026.
- RED STAR LINE MUSEUM | ‘Drifting Belgians’, the incredible journey of the ghost walkers, until 30 August 2026.
- ANTWERP | ‘Martial Arts’: MAS exhibition explores the rich world of combat sports and martial traditions.
- REVIEW | ‘The Antwerp Six’ exhibition at the Antwerp fashion museum MoMu.
- ANTWERP | Museum Plantin-Moretus’ ‘Plantin’s Plants’ exhibition until 2 August 2026.
- ANTWERP | M HKA opens new season with exhibition on censorship and artistic resistance.
- ANTWERP | Climb the Cathedral of Our Lady tower.
- ANTWERP | Rubens House appoints two design teams.
- Antwerp’s municipal museums surpass 2 million visitors in 2025.
- ANTWERP | KMSKA schedules ambitious exhibition programme for 2026, featuring international masters such as Antony Gormley, Philip Aguirre y Otegui and Ossip Zadkine.
- Museums of the City of Antwerp look ahead to 2026.
- REVIEW | ‘La ligne de vie’ René Magritte exhibition at Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
- 2028 to be Music Year in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Museum Mayer van den Bergh opens exhibition ‘Public Favourites’, from Mad Meg to Delft Blue, look at art through other people’s eyes.
- ANTWERP | Graphics Museum De Reede ft. Francisco Goya, Edvard Munch, Félicien Rops and Albrecht Dürer.
- ANTWERP | Rubens Experience and Rubens Garden at Rubenshuis.
- ANTWERP | Innovations in the Middelheim Museum provide a completely new visitor experience.
- A visit of the Flemish Tram and Bus Museum – Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum (VlaTAM) in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Discovering queer(ed) art with the Queer Tour at the KMSKA fine arts museum.
- REVIEW | Illusion Antwerpen, an active and photogenic museum.
- Antwerp museums and sports facilities team up with European Disability Card for accessible leisure activities.
- Museum Mayer van den Bergh.
- ANTWERP | Inside Rubens House.
- Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Museum Vleeshuis up for restoration.
- BOOK | ‘Antwerp. An Archaeological View on the Origin of the City’ by Tim Bellens.
- Red Star Line Museum.
- Paleis op de Meir.
- DIVA, Antwerp Home of Diamonds.
- ANTWERP | Red Star Line Museum of (e)migration.
