Private Passion Public Duty: Dialogue between Jan Hoet and Matthys-Colle

This exhibition examines the similarities and differences between the purchasing policy of Jan Hoet, the founder of S.M.A.K. (Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art), and that of the art collecting couple Roger and Hilda Matthys-Colle. Dr. Roger Matthys stood at the cradle of the Association for the Museum of Contemporary Art (V.M.H.K.), which had the ambition to open its own museum and also purchased art. As president of the association, Matthys had a lot of influence on the purchasing policy of the V.M.H.K. His private collection included quite some works that were exhibited in or purchased by the museum. Both collections are closely intertwined and complement each other.

The Matthys-Colle Collection spans fifty years. In an early stage Roger Matthys purchased works of art for his private collection as well as for the collection of the V.M.H.K. In his purchases he did not focus on one specific movement, but rather created a collection that is representative of all art movements from the second half of the twentieth century. 

In 2020, the S.M.A.K. received 39 works on long-term loan, which now constitute the basis for this exhibition. Both collections include or at one time included work by every single artist represented in the exhibition. 

The archive exhibition on the upper floor delves deeper into the Matthys-Colle Collection and the figure of Jan Hoet, while in the room of the association of the Friends of S.M.A.K. you will discover a selection of works by artists represented in the Matthys-Colle Collection and exhibited by the V.M.H.K.