Ghent revives 1986 'Chambres d'Amis' exhibition for 40th anniversary

In Ghent, the "Chambres d'Amis" exhibition is being revived. Even after 40 years, it still raises relevant questions about the relationship between art, society, and the museum in a radical way.

Daniel Buren's "Le Décor et son double" appears twice: in the guest room of the collector couple Herbert and as a 1:1 copy in the museum. Photo: Dirk Pauwels; Long-term loan from the Flemish Community Collection

By Tal Sterngast

Groundbreaking art exhibitions often arise from a combination of local peculiarities and the spirit of the times, driven by the free-spiritedness or outright megalomania of a charismatic curator whose enthusiasm is contagious. "Chambres d’Amis" in the Flemish city of Ghent was such an event in 1986.

Jan Hoet, curator of the local art museum, organized the exhibition as a reaction to what he called the "suffocating authority of the museum." He invited 51 international and local artists to exhibit their works in 58 different private homes across the city, including—typical for the time—only four women: Carla Accardi, Marisa Merz, Maria Nordman, and Heike Pallanca.

On one hand, Hoet wanted to open the museum to contemporary art; on the other, he aimed to bring contemporary art—especially its more challenging form, conceptual art—closer to the general public. Conceptual art was at the heart of "Chambres d’Amis," with artists such as Joseph Kosuth, Sol LeWitt, Bruce Nauman, and Lawrence Weiner. Hoet also pursued a long-term goal with this exhibition: he wanted to establish a permanent museum for contemporary art in Ghent.

The Exhibition

"Chambres d’Amis turns 40." Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst – S.M.A.K., Ghent (Belgium), until January 10, 2027. Re-issue catalog (Mer & Borgerhoff & Lamberigts): 40 euros.

As art evolved in radical directions during the 1980s, questions about the form and function of the museum also arose. However, unlike the participatory, socially engaged exhibitions of the 1980s that involved the audience or turned the audience itself into art, pursuing educational or activist goals such as anti-war, civil rights, and feminist causes, "Chambres d’Amis" brought public art into private spaces. The exhibition examined the function of art within society without compromising the artwork itself.

The audience was meant to be addressed and confronted with art that was not necessarily easy to consume, while contradictory forces were held together in a productive tension. "Chambres d’Amis" achieved cult status even during its run. It was soon included in the canon of contemporary art exhibitions as a milestone.

Triangle of Reflection on Hoet's Experiment

This May, the Stedelijk Museum for Contemporary Art in Ghent, or S.M.A.K., which was indeed founded in 1999 according to Hoet's plan, opened an exhibition for the 40th anniversary of "Chambres d'Amis." It was curated by Philippe Van Cauteren, S.M.A.K. director since 2005, and S.M.A.K. collection specialist Thibaut Verhoeven.

In addition to a historical and archival section, the exhibition features three large-scale installations by artists Susanne Kriemann from Berlin, Haim Steinbach from New York, and Heike Pallanca from Düsseldorf, each engaging with works from the historical exhibition.

Contaminated behind-the-scenes look at "Chambres d'amis" in Susanne Kriemann's "04261986 (abbiamo aperto una finestra)" Photo: Susanne Kriemann; S.M.A.K. 2026

Forty years later, the new installations form a triangle of reflection on the significance of Hoet's experiment.