[ the S.M.A.K. ]

prologue. the city museum of contemporary art, Ghent

the "Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst" (commonly abbreviated as S.M.A.K., translated as City Museum for Contemporary Art) museum, located in Ghent, Belgium, is renowned both for its permanent collection (Art & Language, Karel Appel, Francis Bacon, Panamarenko, Andy Warhol, etc.) and for its provocative exhibitions.

www.arty-farty.fun' s opinions:
on the management: a museum with a mission. realized by the ground-breaking curator Jan Hoet, on the foundations of friends of the museum and now in the hands of a passionate director Philippe Van Cauteren who is responsible for the mission of the S.M.A.K. which he further propagates and successfully develops on the expression of today.

on the government: ~ Kisses, the government ~ the S.M.A.K. has an internationally recognized top collection of contemporary art from Bacon to Joseph Beuys but stored in the dungeons of the city of Ghent. when will politicians understand that culture can make a major contribution to a better world? visitors do know that S.M.A.K. is iconic for Belgium but are often disappointed they cannot see what they expect to see.

act 1 . ongoing exhibitions & installations

from the collection:

~ Tom Wesselmann ~ Great American Nude # 45, 1963

~ until 21 march 2021: Museum for a Small City  ~ rebuilt by Richard Venlet

~ until 28 december 2021: Broodthaerskabinet

until 2 may 2021: Anna Boghiguian | A Short Long History

until 30 may 2021:

~ Denicolai & Provoost | Hello, are we in the show?

~ Oliver Laric | Timelapse

~ Nashashibi Skaer: Why Are You Angry?

act 2. The Broodthaerskabinet

is a space in the S.M.A.K. for the per manent presentation of the works, editions, books and ar chive pieces of Marcel Broodthaers (1924-76) that are held in the museum's collection.

Broodthaers made his name as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century art. During his lifetime, the impact of his artistic practice was not only felt in his own country. He soon made his international break through with work that forms a lasting legacy.

It would be hard to overrate the role Marcel Broodthaers played when it comes to thinking about (the place of) art, its function and history. His oeuvre offers an excellent reflection on the meaning of art and its institutions (e.g. museums). This is why the S.M.A.K dedicates a space exclusively to him: the Broodthaerskabinet.

The Broodthaerskabinet was realised in close collaboration with Maria Gilissen-Broodthaers.

arty-farty.fun's opinion: Marcel Broodthaers' mosselpot, an icon from the S.M.A.K. , made by the audience. The- mosselpot- is part of the whole artistic thinking of the poet-artist. It is an answer on the Brillo box of Andy Warhol.

What you see is what you get. As Broodthaers is a hair of René Magritte and Marcel Duchamp I might add less is more: the pot is full ,the shells are empty. French fries and mayonnaise are missing, but this is my free interpretation, my engagement to this artwork will be discovered at Frituur Filip.

visit our  "MUKHA's Broodtaers retrospective"  artventure's webpage.