Chambres d’Amis turns 40

When you make a reservation for an expo, you can go whenever you intend to between the opening and closing of the exhibition. The confirmation email refers to the first date of the exhibition.

​

In 2026, S.M.A.K. celebrates the 40th anniversary of 'Chambres d’Amis' – an exhibition that wrote history in 1986. Contemporary art was taken out of the museum context and exhibited in private homes around Ghent.

Forty years later, S.M.A.K. reflects on this remarkable project while also looking ahead. The museum has organized several exhibitions in urban spaces since Chambres d’Amis, including Over The Edges (2000) and TRACK (2012). S.M.A.K. has invited an artist from each of these three exhibitions to curate new museum displays of the works from Chambres d’Amis in the permanent collection. Heike Pallanca, Haim Steinbach, and Susanne Kriemann will each design a gallery, or ‘chambre’, shaped by their own artistic practice. This approach will give the works a contemporary resonance that echoes their original concept and speaks to today’s visitors.

The exhibition is further framed by a documentary presentation that contextualizes the historical significance of Chambres d’Amis. At its heart is the iconic work Le Décor et son Double by French artist Daniel Buren, reinstalled in close collaboration with the Herbert Foundation.