2022

Ensemble

During 2020, with the corona crisis in mind, the focus of these acquisitions was on young artists. In 2021, substantial attention was paid to core artists of Antwerp galleries, more specifically artists who are a symbol for a gallery's programming. The multi-year plan provided for substantial attention in 2022 for artists who indicate the international dimension of Antwerp, with historical efforts to make up for shortages in the public heritage. The majority of the available resources were spent on this. They may be international artists, whether or not they live or work in Antwerp does not matter. Evenness in the distribution of purchases between actors is not a hard criterion, but a certain degree of spread across the many galleries that make Antwerp such a vital scene is a point of attention. The exercise that started in 2021 will be continued. Various members of the collection working group selected a long list of galleries that are then visited, in order to formulate and negotiate proposals, resulting in a short list from which purchases can follow. Basic criteria are: the extent to which an artist can be seen as a reference for the gallery, and the extent to which an artist is important within the collection image of M HKA, as formulated in the collection policy plan. Finally, a budget was also provided for work by younger artists within the scene who can be seen as a potential reference point for the future.

About M HKA / Mission Statement

The M HKA is a museum for contemporary art, film and visual culture in its widest sense. It is an open place of encounter for art, artists and the public. The M HKA aspires to play a leading role in Flanders and to extend its international profile by building upon Antwerp's avant-garde tradition. The M HKA bridges the relationship between artistic questions and wider societal issues, between the international and the regional, artists and public, tradition and innovation, reflection and presentation. Central here is the museum's collection with its ongoing acquisitions, as well as related areas of management and research.

About M HKA Ensembles

The M HKA Ensembles represent our first steps towards initiating the public to today's art-related digital landscape. With the help of these new media, our aim is to offer our artworks a better and fuller array of support for their presentation and public understanding.