XANADU ! The S.M.A.K. collection highlighted by Hans Theys

This is the first time the museum has invited an external curator to engage with its collection.Over the past few months, Hans Theys has invited numerous artists and several accomplished experts (Dirk Pauwels, Frank Maes, and Hans Martens) to join him in examining the collection, deliberating, and creating trial installations. The exhibition serves as an occasion to take a closer look at a number of permanent loans and to restore several works. A symbolic attempt is being made to reflect on a major Flemish collection (which would be managed by various museums) by inviting Bart De Baere and Philippe Van den Bossche to contribute works from their respective collections.
Finally, and most importantly, Hans Theys aims to show what a collection truly looks like by creating hangs (accrochages) featuring all available works by specific artists.

Hans Theys (1963) has written around forty monographs and hundreds of essays and interviews, primarily focusing on the work of artists based in Belgium. His best-known books are dedicated to the work of Panamarenko, Luc Deleu, Walter Swennen, Michel François, and Ann Veronica Janssens. In 2008 and 2009, he published the books Flower Power I and II, which bundled over 100 essays and interviews regarding the work of some seventy artists.

Featuring works by Marcel Broodthaers, Joseph Beuys, Raoul De Keyser, Panamarenko, Bernd Lohaus, Luc Deleu and TOP Office, Walter Swennen, Guy Rombouts, Thierry De Cordier, Ann Veronica Janssens, Dirk Braeckman, Koen Theys, Peter Buggenhout, David Claerbout, Tamara Van San, and many others.