Philippe Geluck Abandons Brussels Cat Museum Project

Belgian cartoonist Philippe Geluck, the 72-year-old creator of the iconic comic character “Le Chat,” has announced his intention to withdraw from the long-planned Cat Museum (Musée du Chat et du dessin d’humour) in Brussels, citing insurmountable financial difficulties that have made the project untenable. The decision, confirmed in an exclusive interview with RTBF, marks the apparent collapse of a cultural initiative that has been in development for over a decade.

A Project Twelve Years in the Making

The Cat Museum was first conceived by Geluck in 2008 and officially launched in 2014. A formal agreement between the cartoonist and the Brussels-Capital Region was signed in 2015 under then-Minister-President Rudi Vervoort (PS). The museum was to be housed at 6 Rue Royale, in a striking new 4,000 m² building designed by architect Pierre Hebbelinck, located near the Mont des Arts and the Royal Palace.

The project faced repeated delays from the outset. Originally scheduled to open in 2019, the target was pushed back repeatedly — to 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and finally September 2026. The building permit was only granted in April 2023.

The Financial Breaking Point

According to RTBF’s full interview with Geluck conducted by journalist Jérôme Durant, the financial burden on the cartoonist’s ASBL became unsustainable. Under the agreement, the Brussels Region financed the building shell — initially budgeted at €9.38 million but later rising to approximately €14 million — while Geluck’s ASBL was responsible for all interior fit-out costs.

“Initially, in 2017, we calculated that all this would cost €4.5 million,” Geluck told RTBF. “But you can imagine that ten years later, those €4.5 million have become €7 million, perhaps more, with the increase in material costs and international problems. And now I can’t anymore.”

Geluck emphasized that his organization receives no subsidies or public support, relying entirely on private fundraising. “The economic equation is impossible,” he said.

A Contractual Exit

Geluck invoked a contractual exit clause (condition suspensive) triggered by the building not being delivered by the March 31, 2026 deadline. He described the decision as “terrible” after twelve years of work with his teams, but insisted the situation had become financially untenable.

Political Response: The Museum Will Go On

Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès (MR), who inherited the project from the previous government, has made clear he intends to see the museum through. As RTL Info reported, Dilliès stated: “I inherited this file, but I intend to see it through to make Brussels shine, without any additional cost for the people of Brussels. With or without Philippe Geluck, there will be a first-class museum.”

Geluck has reportedly proposed two alternative projects to the Brussels government, which are currently under negotiation. Dilliès has committed to finding a solution that does not burden Brussels taxpayers.

A Painful Decision for a Devoted Brussels Artist

Geluck revealed that he had received offers to build the museum in the south of France, Paris, and Geneva under far more advantageous conditions — all of which he declined out of loyalty to his hometown. “I was born in Brussels, I live in Brussels, the Cat is Belgian, and I find it normal to give back to all my fellow citizens this kind of artistic luck and happiness that I’ve experienced for 50 years,” he said.

What Happens Next

The Brussels Region has already invested approximately €14 million in the building shell, making it critical to find a new operator to avoid a costly white elephant. The building itself was designed to be adaptable for other uses. The September 2026 opening date is now effectively impossible.

Several questions remain unanswered: Who will take over the project? What are the two replacement proposals Geluck has submitted? Will Geluck face financial penalties for withdrawing? And what will become of the artworks and collections already prepared for the museum?

For now, one of Brussels’ most anticipated cultural projects hangs in the balance — a decade-long dream derailed by the simple arithmetic of costs that doubled while funding sources did not.