SMAK – Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art
SMAK – Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Ghent. Give it roughly ~90 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type museum
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Ghent Ghent guide
About SMAK – Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art
Belgium's leading contemporary art museum, housed in a striking modernist building in Citadelpark, with a provocative permanent collection and bold rotating exhibitions.
SMAK, Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, is Belgium's most prominent contemporary art museum and one of the most respected institutions of its kind in Europe. Founded in 1975 and housed since 1999 in a circular modernist building in Citadelpark, SMAK holds a permanent collection of over 2,500 works spanning the art movements of the second half of the twentieth century through to today.
The collection encompasses Arte Povera, Conceptual art, Neo-Expressionism, and installation art, with works by Francis Bacon, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bruce Nauman, and many others. SMAK is particularly known for its commitment to challenging, sometimes uncomfortable work, the museum has never shied away from controversy. The rotating exhibition programme brings major international shows to Ghent on a regular basis, and the museum is celebrated across Europe for its daring curatorial approach.
Did you know? SMAK founder Jan Hoet won international fame with 'Chambres d'Amis' (1986), placing artworks in 50 private Ghent homes, and went on to curate Documenta IX in 1992.
How long is a visit to SMAK – Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art?
Set aside roughly ~90 min for SMAK – Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is SMAK – Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art worth your time?
SMAK – Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art is among the 22 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Ghent, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Ghent
Hear the story of SMAK – Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art
Preview the Ghent tour free in the Gingerguide app.