Mission and Vision

Mission

Connecting art, architecture and the public

As a museum for art and architecture, Kanal wants to be relevant and inspiring to the widest possible audience, both locally and internationally. 

Kanal-Centre Pompidou’s mission is to foster enjoyment and understanding of art, and to explore the impact of culture on society. As a public institution, Kanal cares for, develops and shares its collection of contemporary art. Through its programme, it examines the role of art and its potential to respond to the questions and challenges of our time. Its diverse audience engagement activities aim to make culture accessible to all.

Under the name Kanal Architecture, the work of the former CIVA is continued through a unique collection of archives and books dedicated to architecture, landscape and urban ecosystems, alongside an exhibition and public programme that encourages critical reflection on the city and the built environment.

With its 40 000 m2, Kanal is conceived not only as a museum, but as a new piece of the city, a public space on a crucial urban axis close to the centre of Brussels, free to enter and use, by everyone, at any time.

Vision

A factory of futures

Kanal aspires to be not only a museum but a meeting place where artists, makers, architects and the public come together as one vibrant collective. Here, experiences and knowledge are generated not only for, but with audiences. It is a space where disciplines coalesce and challenge one another, where ideas circulate and transform, and where people experiment, create and reconsider how art can help imagine a better future. Kanal is conceived as a project in constant motion – always unfinished, open to self-reflection, and ready to evolve with the world around it.

The artistic vision comes to life through an interdisciplinary programme of exhibitions, events and collections. Reaching beyond the exhibition rooms into Kanal’s public spaces – and sometimes spilling into the city beyond – the programme invites broad participation. It is shaped by a commitment to shared experiences, mutual care and high professional and ethical standards.

Kanal's audiences are an essential part of the narrative: their perspectives enrich interpretation and help shape the museum experience. In this way, Kanal seeks to become a dynamic and resilient institution in which art and architecture are not only openly celebrated, but also critically examined. Contemporary practices intersect with narratives from art and architecture history, which are continually re-read and re-contextualised. Kanal engages critically with the past while remaining firmly oriented toward the future.

Kanal is deeply invested in its immediate surroundings. It wants to function as an open house for the neighbourhood and an ally of the city – a place that listens, connects and celebrates dialogue. What happens outside is invited in, and what takes place inside resonates outward.

Once inside, visitors move through a multitude of worlds: some unfamiliar, others unexpectedly recognisable. At times there is the quiet intimacy of reading a book in a secluded corner; at others, a shared intensity around an iconic artwork. And at night, it’s party time. This continuous balancing act is at the heart of Kanal’s identity.