Flemish Government's Declassification Threatens M HKA Museum's Future and Antwerp's Arts Ecosystem

The decision by the Flemish government to strip M HKA of its national museum designation poses a significant risk to the visual arts landscape in Antwerp, diminishing the international visibility of contemporary Flemish artists. Since 2002, Bart De Baere has served as the director of M HKA and had previously garnered support from the N-VA for a new museum facility. Pascal Gielen contends that this move signifies a wider decline in democratic values under 'repressive liberal' administrations. In his position paper for CIMAM, he advocates for a Memorandum of Care and Understanding (MoCU) to promote ethical practices in museums. Gielen stresses the necessity for museums to convey their societal importance and build trust, warning that dismantling M HKA's collection would breach international ethical standards and harm connections with donors and artists, jeopardizing cultural infrastructure.