Antwerp galleries send open letter to M HKA Board: "M HKA is a fundamental pillar of the art world"

26 February 2026 – Open letter

Dozens of leading Antwerp galleries have sent an open letter to the Board of the M HKA, expressing their deep concern about the future of the museum. Signatories include renowned galleries such as Zeno X Gallery, Tim Van Laere Gallery, Keteleer Gallery, and Axel Vervoordt Gallery, who emphasize that the M HKA is not an optional cultural player, but a fundamental pillar of the Antwerp and international art scene.

In the letter, the galleries call on the Board, management, and curators to take a clear, public, and unambiguous stance in favor of preserving and strengthening the M HKA as an autonomous and leading museum for contemporary art. They stress that the museum is essential for Antwerp’s international reputation and the sustainability of investments in artists and the city.

The galleries formulate four concrete demands:

Take a clear, public, and unambiguous position in favor of preserving the M HKA.
Actively advocate for the realization of a full-fledged new building that supports the museum’s ambition and scale.
Recognize the broader urban art ecosystem as a reality for which the museum shares responsibility.
Immediately organize collection presentations that materialize the protest’s message.

« The survival of a dynamic gallery sector in Antwerp is inextricably linked to the existence of a strong, ambitious, and forward-looking M HKA », the signatories write. « When the museum weakens, the entire field weakens. When the museum is strengthened, confidence, international prestige, and the economic and cultural impact of the city grow. »

The letter underscores that the M HKA deserves an infrastructure that fully supports its mission and calls for responsibility, vision, and an unambiguous fight for the museum.

Read the full letter here (Dutch)