Dieter Roelstraete Defends M HKA Against Flemish Government's Proposed Dismantling

Dieter Roelstraete has published a response defending Antwerp's Museum of Contemporary Art (M HKA) against proposed dismantling by Flemish authorities. The Flemish government's plan would relocate M HKA's collection to Ghent's S.M.A.K. museum, a move Roelstraete criticizes as economically rationalized and undemocratic. He argues this threatens the museum's unique local-global dialogue, exemplified by its collection of post-war avant-garde art from Antwerp and Flanders alongside international works. Artists including Anish Kapoor, Annette Messager, and Emily Kabakov have reportedly written letters threatening to block public display of their works if the plan proceeds. Roelstraete highlights M HKA's 2006 exhibition in Shanghai as evidence of its successful local anchoring within global contexts. He suggests S.M.A.K. should refuse the transfer to prevent dilution of both institutions' collections. The article appears in Afterall Issue 59–60 'Infrastructure' as part of a roundtable discussion about saving M HKA.