Today, the culture committee of the Flemish Parliament discussed the thorough redesign of the Flemish museum landscape proposed by minister Gennez.
During the original presentation it was said– and this is also stated in the accompanying draft memorandum – that Antwerp’s M HKA would lose its museum status and that the collection would largely be “transferred” to Ghent.
However, the minister adopted a different tone in committee today. There is no longer any question of a physical “transfer”. “The collection will not be taken away from the M HKA and put on lorries to Ghent. The building will not be closed or shut down,” the minister now said.
According to Gennez, the intention is for the collections of the M HKA and the S.M.A.K. to “jointly strengthen the Flemish Community’s collection of contemporary art”, with the S.M.A.K. taking on responsibility for “collection care”.
‘The essence of the change is not that the M HKA will no longer organise exhibitions or be able to open up its collections, but rather that collection care will no longer be the core mission of the M HKA.’
‘The M HKA will retain access to all works and will also be able to display them more widely than today, including works from the S.M.A.K. Art that belongs in an Antwerp context will also be on display there. People must stop spreading fake news,’ Gennez added.
‘We are not going to pick up the Panamarenko House and move it to Ghent. Anyone who says such things must realise that it is not feasible’
‘Not a tribal war’ between Ghent and Antwerp
The culture minister repeated that the M HKA must develop into an international arts centre for the visual arts ‘with space for exhibitions, residencies, studios, workshops and education’. ‘It must become a breeding ground for contemporary art in Antwerp and Flanders.’
‘The operation is about strengthening the museum landscape for the whole of Flanders. This is not a story of S.M.A.K. versus M HKA or about the two cities. It is about the broad collection of the Flemish Community and about better supporting our visual artists.
