Heritage on sale: Ghent’s heritage sector symbolically auctions off its collections
The Flemish Government is cutting spending on the cultural heritage sector. That is why the Ghent cultural heritage sector is organising a gathering at the Boekentoren on Thursday 15 October at 6 pm. Liberas, Amsab-ISG, the Huis van Alijn, Kina and the Boekentoren are organising a symbolic auction of their most valuable (socially significant) heritage items. With this campaign, we are highlighting what is at stake.
What is this all about?
The supra-local museums, including Kina and Huis van Alijn, are set to lose 30 per cent of their Flemish operating funds, whilst the archives – including Liberas and Amsab-ISG – stand to lose 50 per cent. The Boekentoren, together with the two other nationally recognised heritage libraries (Openbare Bibliotheek Brugge and Erfgoedbibliotheek Hendrik Conscience, is set to lose as much as 100 per cent of its heritage funding. Four service providers in Ghent – Archiefpunt, ETWIE, Toon and Erfgoedcel Gent – are also facing substantial cuts. This is no longer a matter of cost-cutting, but a way of rewriting cultural policy through the budget. The Boekentoren, together with the heritage libraries, previously wrote an open letter to the Minister for Culture on this matter.
Heritage as the foundation for culture and democracy
Cutting funding for heritage to protect artists and creators? That is a false dichotomy. Archives, museums and heritage libraries are much more than mere repositories. These collections provide the raw material for research, education, journalism and artistic creation, ranging from books and documentaries to exhibitions and theatre productions.
Moreover, they preserve the diverse voices and experiences that have shaped our society. They provide historical evidence to critically examine social developments, challenge prevailing narratives and fuel democratic debate.
Cutting funding for heritage therefore not only undermines our collective memory, but also the culture, knowledge and democracy of tomorrow.Besparen op erfgoed om kunstenaars en makers te beschermen? Dat is een valse tegenstelling. Archieven, musea en erfgoedbibliotheken zijn veel meer dan bewaarplaatsen. Deze collecties vormen de grondstof voor onderzoek, onderwijs, journalistiek en artistieke creatie, van boeken en documentaires tot tentoonstellingen en theatervoorstellingen.
Symbolic auction: what is heritage worth?
To highlight this social value, the five institutions are putting a selection of their finest pieces under the hammer. The lot ranges from the extremely rare 15th-century manuscripts from the library of Raphaël de Mercatellis (Boekentoren) to a colonial school wall chart that encourages critical reflection on our colonial past (Huis van Alijn). A woodcut by Frans Masereel from 1917 (Amsab-ISG), recognised as a Flemish masterpiece, and documents from an Antwerp school colony dating from the Second World War (Liberas) bear witness to the human suffering caused by war. Kina, meanwhile, is contributing, amongst other things, brain coral, which offers insight into the vulnerability of marine ecosystems.
The public bids not with money, but with ideas for a socially valuable use: from an artist who wants to create a performance based on a heritage item, to a journalist who wants to use archive material to debunk disinformation, and a teacher who intends to use it in a lesson on democracy. Yet, ultimately, each item goes to the fictional bidder with the most hard cash.
That question is the focus of the symbolic auction, which is open to everyone.
Practical information
- What: Heritage on Sale – What is heritage worth?
- When: Thursday 15 October, 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm
- Where: Boekentoren, Rozier 9, 9000 Gent
- Admission: Everyone is welcome, including children
For press enquiries about this event: Margo De Koster, Director of Amsab-ISG – margo.dekoster@amsab.be