Hicham Khalidi discusses strategies for cultural institutions facing political defunding, citing M HKA and Jan van Eyck.

Hicham Khalidi, the director of Jan van Eyck Academie, has expressed his thoughts on the Flemish government's choice to remove M HKA's national museum designation, drawing parallels to previous crises in cultural funding. He remembers the 2012 austerity measures in the Netherlands that slashed the cultural budget by €250 million. Khalidi suggests approaches such as enhancing visibility, forming partnerships, and fostering dialogue with political entities. He contrasts Belgium's hierarchical structure with the foundation model in the Netherlands. He points out that the closures of HISK and A.PASS harm local ecosystems and cautions that dismantling collections like M HKA's disrupts historical narratives. Khalidi stresses the importance of conveying the value of art, citing the Van Abbemuseum's defense of its collection under political strain.