Belgium plans to revoke the museum status of Antwerp's Museum of Contemporary Art (M HKA) and transfer its 8,000-work collection to Ghent's Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art (Smak), canceling a promised $93 million new building. The proposal by Flemish culture minister Caroline Gennez has sparked resignations, legal challenges, and backlash from artists including Luc Tuymans and Anish Kapoor, who call it unlawful and a threat to cultural independence. A parliamentary hearing is expected in January 2026.
This matters because the dismantling of M HKA, Belgium's oldest contemporary art museum, would set a precedent for political interference in cultural institutions and weaken Flanders' museum landscape. The controversy highlights tensions between government budget pressures and the autonomy of art museums, with global figures like Hans Ulrich Obrist and Maria Balshaw signing open letters in support of preserving M HKA's status. The outcome could reshape how European governments balance fiscal constraints with cultural heritage.