Kanal director Yves Goldstein resigns months before museum opening amid ongoing financial woes

Brussels’ flagship cultural project Kanal is further shaken ahead of its highly-anticipated inauguration in November following the surprise resignation of director Yves Goldstein.

After almost 10 years steering the controversial art institution, he announced his decision in an interview with De Standaard.

But Goldstein, who will remain as director until a successor is found, considers his mission complete. “I had set three goals: to transform the Citroën garage into a museum, to develop a project and to put together a team. That has happened,” he then told Bruzz.

It was time for the focus to switch to operating the site, he added. “Supervising the daily operations and closely monitoring the budgets is less in my DNA. You need a real manager type for that.”

Although Goldstein said his action was unrelated to Kanal’s ongoing financial difficulties and was intended to ensure stability, the news further fuels the uncertainty surrounding its opening.

Occupying an iconic Art Deco building in Place Sainctelette, the 41,000m² modern and contemporary arts complex still requires an additional €60 million investment before its unveiling on 28 November.

The announcement was a surprise for Kanal’s directors, board member Willem Elias told Bruzz. "Yet his argument makes sense: building a museum is not the same as managing one. He is now announcing in time that his assignment has been successful, so that we can look for a successor."

It is hoped that the new director, who is tipped to be someone external to the organisation, would be in place by spring 2027.

While the total cost of the Kanal project has now exceeded €230 million, with Brussels’ regional government contributing €193 million, the latter still needs to come up with the funds to complete the renovation work.

The financial turbulence for the museum is likely to continue as the region also wants to halve its operating budget over the next three years. While its budget forecasts an annual allocation of €28 million in 2026, €24 million in 2027 and €22 million in 2028, it only plans €10 million for 2029.

This would make Kanal untenable, though, says Goldstein. It would cover staff or subcontractors’ costs but not provide an artistic programme for the site that is designed to transform Brussels into a mecca for modern and contemporary art.

The project director unveiled its ambitious multidisciplinary programme at the beginning of this year. In addition to showcasing contemporary art via a collaboration with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, 10 exhibitions are planned for the opening with works by Picasso, Mondrian and Matisse, alongside Brussels and Belgian artists exploring themes such as migration and colonial history.

The large-scale renovation of the emblematic site has created a five-storey museum and underground gallery, the Kanal Architecture space, a library, study area, bookshop and auditorium. It is topped by a restaurant and a roof terrace with panoramic views of the capital, while also offering a bakery, a 700m² playground and a printing house.

With dwindling public subsidies, the challenge for Kanal also lies in securing private investors to guarantee its sustainability.

“My successor will have the task of seeking out investors and private partners who will also supplement the public subsidy to fully realise the richness and diversity of the programme within these 40,000 square meters,” Goldstein told RTBF.

But he remained optimistic. "We have significantly accelerated our efforts in recent months to bring together as many private partners as possible for this project."

Photos: ©Kanal