The KANAL Foundation unveils its collection
Press release 10.03.2021
The KANAL Foundation has unveiled the first works in its collection. These works, selected by the Acquisition Committee that is made up of members of the KANAL team and independent experts, form the cornerstone for the future KANAL Foundation collections. The acquisition strategy of the KANAL Foundation, first implemented in 2018, supports contemporary creation in Brussels and Belgium.
Yves Goldstein, Director of the KANAL Foundation: “The objective behind the KANAL Foundation collections that are funded by the Brussels-Capital Region is to provide a dual perspective of both the current Belgian art scene and the KANAL Foundation. The first acquisitions were commissioned for KANAL Brut in 2018. This inaugural experience shaped our acquisition strategy for the first few years”.
The collections that echo KANAL's commitment to an interdisciplinary approach include all mediums of artistic expression: painting, sculpture, drawing, engraving, photography, film, video, installations, performances, and archives. These collections are rooted in the diverse nature of the Belgian art scene and reflect the complexity of contemporary artistic practices.
Jennifer Beauloye, Collections Manager at KANAL-Centre Pompidou and members of the Acquisition Committee, comments: “Adding the first work of art to the inventory of a public collection is a rare and historic occasion. Since the Acquisition Committee was first inaugurated, we have been engaged in exciting discussions about defining our methodology and strategy. These discussions have evolved as the plans for the future building have become clearer. These first works are considered asthe basis for our future collections. In addition to acquisitions, we are also building long-term, loyalrelationships of confidence with the artists who entrust us with the custody of their works”.
The works are systematically chosen according to a rigorous procedure carried out jointly by the KANAL-Centre Pompidou artistic team and external experts. An Advance Committee verifies the admissibility and reliability of the received proposals and submits them to the Acquisition Committee, made up of internal and external experts who are appointed by the Board of Directors of the KANAL Foundation. The Acquisition Committee that meets each year and is currently presided by Kasia Redzisz, artistic director of KANAL- Centre Pompidou, carries out the final evaluations. All the decisions are then formally approved by the Board of Directors that has always respected the choices of the Acquisition Committee.
The collection currently includes 38 works by 27 artists from 12 different nationalities, who are either living, working, or originating from Brussels and Belgium. In addition to the works already presented at KANAL Brut, the collection includes works by artists such as Otobong NKANGA, Jos DE GRUYTER & Harald THYS, Sammy BALOJI, Ana TORFS, etc.
The KANAL Foundation wants to make its collection accessible to a very broad audience via its online presence and loans to other institutions. The collection will of course be exhibited as part of the programming after the opening of KANAL in 2024.
Kasia Redzisz: “Over the past four years KANAL has collected a wide range of great art works, which, in the coming months and years, will be exhibited at many national and international art institutions as part of their programming. I am looking forward to showing them in Brussels and to working with the KANAL team and the Acquisition Committee on defining the future acquisition strategy and further expanding the collection”.
