Angel Vergara's Straatman: A Critique of Institutions at Muhka

Angel Vergara Santiago's first solo exhibition at Muhka in Antwerp, running until October 7, 2001, showcases his Straatman persona—a white-sheeted figure who sketches public interactions. The exhibition includes a fax from Jan Hoet Jr., manager of the SMAK cafeteria, criticizing Vergara's work, which Vergara turned into a painting. This fax highlights populist right-wing attitudes toward contemporary art, using terms like 'harmful' and 'superfluous' associated with figures like Haider and Le Pen. Vergara's Straatman first appeared at the 1988 Venice Biennale, drawing and exchanging sketches with visitors. Since 1990, he has developed relational aesthetics projects like Café de l'année. In 1999, Jan Hoet Sr. invited Vergara to design the SMAK café, later destroyed by Hoet Jr. without consultation. Vergara's work also includes the 'nanard' currency in Revin, France, in 1995, accepted by local businesses. He notes institutional resistance, citing cancellations by Europalia and Voici exhibition at Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.