Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – SMAK. in Ghent faces criticism for a toxic work culture under Director Philippe Van Cauteren. An investigation found serious issues, leading to a temporary halt on student internships. The museum plans a major expansion, doubling in size, using the ‘Casino’ building in Citadel Park. Alderman Astrid De Brucker oversees improvements.
SMAK in Ghent has been criticized for a long time. An outside investigation found serious problems with working conditions and a bad atmosphere. The report said that the museum director, Philippe Van Cauteren, had a toxic leadership style. This upset many people inside and outside the museum.
Even with these claims, Van Cauteren kept his job and took legal action, saying the accusations were false. An action plan was made to improve the work environment, but the department in charge thinks the changes are not enough. This ongoing issue has affected student internships at the museum.
“We are making this decision based on the findings of former students who work or have worked at SMAK,”
Says Professor Francis Maes.
“We also took into account the analysis of our colleagues from contemporary art.”
Is SMAK Ghent fixing its work culture while expanding?
The department has decided to stop internships at SMAK for now. This decision came after hearing from former students about their time at the museum. Professor Francis Maes said that student safety is the main concern. He did not mention specific problems but stressed the need to protect students. He mentioned that SMAK has tried to improve conditions, but the pause on internships shows that people are still worried. Until real changes happen, the museum will not accept students.
“We hope that an atmosphere of trust will soon be restored between us and the museum.“
Professor Francis Maes
SMAK in Ghent has problems with its work atmosphere. Many workers say it is toxic under Director Philippe Van Cauteren. They complain about too much pressure, bad conditions, and a negative mood. An outside group asked 55 employees to share their thoughts. 41 people joined in, and 10 made formal complaints.
The investigation found serious issues with the work culture and how things are run. The city wants a plan to fix these problems. Van Cauteren is still in charge, hoping for changes to regain trust. Since SMAK is city-run, the city of Ghent is also responsible. Alderman for Culture, Astrid De Brucker, wants to talk with museum leaders to check how the plan is working and make sure the work environment gets better.
“We hope of course that it will turn out that this is a temporary measure and that the SMAK will quickly put its house in order. It is not our intention to blow up all our ties with the SMAK. We hope that there will soon be an atmosphere of trust between us and the museum again,”
Said Astrid De Brucker.
SMAK is getting ready to expand and renovate. The City of Ghent has approved a plan to improve Citadel Park, where the museum is. They want to use the nearby ‘Casino’ building to make the museum twice as big. This will help SMAK show more of its 500 artworks and hold more exhibitions.
A team of architects from London won a competition to redesign the museum. They plan to use an old building from the 1913 World Fair as the main entrance. The project will focus on being eco-friendly and fitting in with the park. Officials mentioned that these changes support Ghent’s goal to become the European Capital of Culture in 2030.
