Flanders' government plans to close Antwerp’s Museum of Contemporary Art (M HKA), built in 1985, and move its entire 8,000-artwork collection to Ghent’s Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art (Smak). The decision, announced by culture minister Caroline Gennez, was revealed after canceling an €80 million new building for M HKA. At a press conference in Antwerp, museum directors called the move an "arbitrary reshaping" and accused the government of "flagrant illegalities." Luc Tuymans, a leading Antwerp painter, said, "To degrade a museum to an arts centre is simply insane. You cannot simply take a collection of artworks and transplant it into another ecosystem, because such an ecosystem does not exist." The collection includes works by international stars Kerry James Marshall, Anish Kapoor, and Marina Abramović. Kapoor emailed the culture ministry stating, "I cannot accept that they might be removed from M HKA or otherwise put at risk as part of any institutional reorganisation." Belgium faces a serious budget deficit, with the arts sector hit hardest. The plan aims to concentrate art collections in three main museums in Flanders, cutting costs. However, Belgium’s financial watchdog doubts savings, calling the budget impact "fragmentary." While moving could cut operating costs from €8m to €5m, M HKA would still spend on borrowing artworks to attract visitors. Additionally, Ghent’s Smak currently lacks space to store M HKA’s collection and would need upgrades. This museum shake-up debate will be discussed in Belgium’s parliament this Friday.