Vasari Art Codex

Comment | The dissolution of Antwerp's museum of contemporary art should serve as a warning to all

The Flemish ministry of culture has ordered the closure of M HKA, the museum of contemporary art in Antwerp, Belgium, and the transfer of its collection to S.M.A.K. in Ghent. A planned €130m new building for M HKA, ready to break ground, has been cancelled. In response, artists and cultural workers have launched a "Museum at Risk" campaign, occupying the museum's entrance and pressuring city councillors, while international artists like Emilia Kabakov and the estate of Christian Boltanski are demanding the return of their works.

person people schedule Dec 5, 2025 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

Cristina Chacón & Diego Uribe on the art they collect and why

Cristina Chacón and Diego Uribe, a Colombian couple who have been together since their teens, discuss their art collection and philanthropic work. They serve on the chairman’s council of the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami and founded the DC Art Foundation in 2021, which supports mid-career and established artists through exhibitions and residencies. Their collection spans Miami, Bogotá, and Madrid, focusing on Modern and contemporary art from Latin America, with additional works by artists like Christian Boltanski, Ugo Rondinone, and Chiharu Shiota. In an interview, they share their first purchase (a still-life by Alberto Nuño from 1992), a recent acquisition (Gabriel Orozco’s 1999 painted-plywood construction), and regret over not buying a Ruth Asawa piece earlier.

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