M HKA to retain status under revised plans for revamp of museum sector
Flanders' Culture minister and the museum sector have reached a consensus on the next steps in the reform of the region's museum landscape. Under the revised plans, the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA) in Antwerp will retain its status as a museum.
On Monday, Caroline Gennez announced "an ambitious plan for the creation of M HKA 2.0". According to the minister, M HKA will retain its museum status, with the aim of better supporting contemporary visual artists. The museum should increasingly act as a bridge between the heritage sector and the arts field, she said.
Monday's announcement brings an end to the turmoil surrounding the museum. In early October, Gennez announced that long-standing plans for a new museum building were being scrapped. A few days later, she unveiled plans for a broader reform of the Flemish museum landscape, under which the majority of M HKA’s collection would have been transferred to S.M.A.K. in Ghent.
After strong criticism, the idea of a physical transfer of MHKA's collection was dropped. Instead, the museum was expected to evolve into an international arts centre for the visual arts. That plan also met resistance, resulting in Gennez telling Flemish parliament last month that she wanted to give M HKA a "new start".
Sector-wide debates
Gennez also announced that a States General would be organised, where the art sector will debate the long-term future of the visual arts in Flanders. In the shorter term, a vision paper in which the museums collaborate on a shared future for the Flemish museum landscape should be completed by June.
Gennez said she and the museums involved shared "the same vision and ambition". "We want to show more art, in more places, to more visitors," she said. "We want more cooperation between museums and to position Flemish museums among the international top. In the coming years, we will work together to put that vision into practice."
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO M HKA
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