On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Friends of S.M.A.K., the museum is devoting a collection presentation to the Friends’ acquisitions.
This year the museum is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Friends of S.M.A.K. This association of friends, which was originally called the Society for the Museum of Contemporary Art (V.M.H.K.), was founded on the initiative of Karel Geirlandt in 1957 and was the driving force behind the birth of the museum. The acquisition of artworks was one of the association’s core activities right from the beginning. The very first purchase was made in 1958 and it signalled the start of a rich collection. On the occasion of this anniversary, S.M.A.K. is taking the opportunity to spotlight a number of works from the collection that were purchased by the association. Without the sizeable contribution made by the Friends of S.M.A.K., the museum’s collection would never have gained the vigour and appeal it now has. Among the works are pieces by Marcel Broodthaers, Andy Warhol, Lucio Fontana, Didier Vermeiren, Christo, Andreas Slominski and Tetsumi Kudo.
From 2017 to 2018, The Mobile and Temporary Studio for Research and Production, headed by Koen Brams, is researching the history of the Society for the Museum of Contemporary Art between 1957 and 1969. This research will be presented in the museum at a later date.
