Fusion18 is a temporary installation bridging the gap between the natural sciences and drawing. Discover our collections through scientific illustrations of our specimens, works by a well-known artist and sketches by enthusiastic amateurs.

Scientifically accurate

Scientific illustrations are educational drawings that make it possible to show several aspects of a specimen (such as relief, material and thickness) in a single image. They highlight details that are near invisible to the naked eye. Before the development of cameras, and more recently, 3D scanners, drawings were the only way to accurately depict THE reference specimen for a new species in a scientific publication. In Fusion18, you will see some works of our professional illustrators.

Frans Gentils

This Belgian artist has always had a passion for archaeology and evolution. As a child, he dug in the sand surrounding the port in Antwerp to look for fossils. His many trips to the Museum were a particular source of inspiration. He represents and sometimes combines animals, humans and bone fragments in his works using paint, paper and ceramic.

Draw on your own artistic skills!

When you bring your sketchbook to the Museum, you get 50% off for our permanent galleries. Send your artwork to museumfusion@naturalsciences.be - a selection will be shown in the Fusion18 installation - or post it to Twitter or Instagram with #museumfusion18. Or come to our Drawing Marathon on Friday May 4th, from 9.30 am to 21 pm (for artists entrance to the permanent galleries is free)!

Practical information

• From April 26th until July 1st 2018, you receive a 50 percent discount on all price rates for the permanent galleries: for individual visitors that show their sketchbook at the pay desk, and for groups only after making a reservation via museumfusion@naturalsciences.be. For the temporary exhibition MONKEYS, you pay € 2,5 extra.
• Participating in the marathon (and admission to the permanent halls and Fusion18) is free for individual visitors that show their sketchbook at the pay desk, for groups only after making a reservation via museumfusion@naturalsciences.be. From 5.30 pm to 9.00 pm, only the Dinosaur Gallery, the Mineral Hall and 250 Years of Natural Sciences are open.

Admire some of the drawings:

• In our Facebook album
• On Twitter en Instagram tagged with #museumfusion18