ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Afterall's Exhibition Histories Talks: Bart de Baere Discusses 1994 S.M.A.K. Show

institutional · 2026-04-22

Afterall has just shared a video from the thirteenth Exhibition Histories talk, where Bart de Baere, the director of M HKA, chats with curator Charles Esche. This conversation took place on March 16, 2023, and revolved around a 1994 exhibition at S.M.A.K. in Ghent, titled 'This is the show and the show is many things.' They referred to the exhibit in various ways, including a 'fun palace,' 'warehouse,' and 'wasteland,' showcasing a fresh wave of artists and a creative format that combined dance, debates, and a playful spirit. This talk is a part of Afterall's Exhibition Histories project, which collaborates with Bard College's Center for Curatorial Studies and London's Whitechapel Gallery. The page also highlights additional Afterall videos featuring other artists and discussions.

Key facts

  • Bart de Baere is director of M HKA, Antwerp.
  • Charles Esche is a curator and writer.
  • The talk discussed the 1994 exhibition 'This is the show and the show is many things' at S.M.A.K., Ghent.
  • The exhibition was described as a 'fun palace', 'warehouse', and 'wasteland'.
  • The talk is part of Afterall's Exhibition Histories series.
  • The series is developed with the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College.
  • The event was a collaboration with the Whitechapel Gallery, London.
  • Other videos include Sharon Chin, Estefanía Peñafiel Loaiza, and a symposium on Artists for Democracy.

Entities

Artists

  • Bart de Baere
  • Charles Esche
  • Sharon Chin
  • Estefanía Peñafiel Loaiza
  • Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
  • Elisa Adami
  • Alex Schady
  • Wing Chan
  • David Morris
  • Arianna Mercado
  • Camille Crichlow
  • Bart De Baere

Institutions

  • M HKA
  • S.M.A.K.
  • Afterall
  • Whitechapel Gallery
  • Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College
  • CSM Art Programme
  • Asia Art Archive
  • Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts, University of Gothenburg
  • Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
  • S.M.A.K
  • Koenig Books

Locations

  • Antwerp
  • Ghent
  • London
  • Malaysia
  • Bard College
  • Gothenburg
  • Whitechapel High Street
  • London E1 7QX

Sources