Dirk Snauwaert: The Internationalist Behind Wiels

Dirk Snauwaert, director of Wiels in Brussels, is a key figure in Belgium's museum landscape, distinguished by his international career. After starting at the Palais des beaux-arts de Bruxelles, he led the Kunstverein Munich (1996-2001) and co-directed the IAC Villeurbanne with Jean-Louis Maubant. Since 2005, he has overseen Wiels, a contemporary art center in a 1930s modernist industrial building. His inaugural 2007 exhibition 'Expats/clandestines' featured artists like Saâdane Afif, Francis Alÿs, and Chen Zhen, focusing on displacement. Wiels' international residency program has hosted over 60 artists, with 70% staying in Brussels. Snauwaert curated the Belgian pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 with Jef Geys. He also organizes the triennial 'Un-Scene' exhibition highlighting Belgian emerging art. Notable exhibitions at Wiels include Mike Kelley, Félix Gonzalez-Torres, and Alina Szapocznikow. Snauwaert is known for his political acumen and thematic, non-monographic approach.