Vrijdagavonden: White Balls on Walls

• The bar is open from 19:00
• Program starts at 20:00
• Entrance: Pay What You Can

The slogan "Meet the icons of modern art" should be scratched off the glass wall of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. After all, who are these icons of modern art anyway? Who defines them and at whose expense? In 2019, when director Sarah Vos began filming for this documentary, some 90 percent of the art in the Stedelijk was made by white men. That has to change, believes director Rein Wolfs. But that's easier said than done, it turns out as director Sarah Vos follows him and his team in their efforts to increase diversity in the collection and staff.

It is brave that the Stedelijk allowed a behind-the-scenes camera into this process that raises uncomfortable and abrasive questions. Can you still call a painting "The Prostitutes"? Should you look at the artist's skin color or gender when judging art? And how do you deal with visitors who call it "overly politically correct"?

The film is more than just a behind-the-scenes look at a museum. It shows a new perspective on art history and is a period document that beautifully captures the struggle that many historical and cultural institutions are currently going through.

Every Friday evening for 9 weeks, Kunsthal Gent will host a program centered around one or more artists, a collective or organization. From an artist talk, debate or book presentation to a performance, documentary or film evening.

The events are partly related to Kunsthal Gent's artistic program and have grown out of the courses of artists with whom we currently collaborate, such as the evenings with Eleni Kamma (in collaboration with Hans Bryssinck and KASK Performance students), Dieter Durinck and Ben Benaouisse.

However, much of Vrijdagavonden's program comes about in dialogue and collaboration with local partners and artists. For this series we collaborated with, among others, Lochness, School of Love, Martina Petrović & Robert Monchen (In de Ruimte) Filip Van Dingenen and Hélène Meyer (Piloot).