Double interview: the old and new chair of the Board of Directors

At no cost

"M was innovative in that it mixed ancient and contemporary art – most museums focus on one of the two. Initially we had no contemporary art collection, but in 2011 we were able to sign a long-term loan agreement with Cera. Later, we were able to do the same with the Flemish Community. At first, I was sometimes asked how M could afford all these contemporary works, but in fact it didn't cost us anything."

"What also set M apart was the transhistorical approach. That involves exhibiting artworks from different periods and backgrounds together so that they dialogue with each other. You saw that right away in 2009, at the opening exhibition around Rogier van der Weyden. Leuven artist Walter Verdin created a video installation inspired by 'The Descent from the Cross'. That was an eye-opener for many people who saw that you could present art that way too. That was a magnificent exhibition. A lot of the pieces had never been shown in Belgium before – we could only show them thanks to connections with the Belgian and Spanish royal courts."

Bert Cornillie: "Next autumn, M is organising a major exhibition around Dieric Bouts, a contemporary of Van der Weyden, who worked here in Leuven. Once again, unique pieces will be on display there, as well as work by contemporary artists. That transhistorical approach is very valuable."

Denise: "Right from the start, M also did public outreach in a modern way. Museums used to have the reputation of being stuffy and boring, but M has always thrown open the windows: for schools, families, people from diverse backgrounds..."

Record amount

Denise: "I would also like to point out that the city, M and Cera have financially supported the arts sector from the beginning of the pandemic. We were a pioneer in this, the Flemish government took our lead. I dare say M is present, even among the policymakers."

Bert: “Definitely. For instance, Event Flanders has released €2 million for the city festival around Bouts for this autumn. A record amount."

"M is doing well, and we need to keep it that way. At most, we will make minor changes in nuance. Internally, we will place an even stronger emphasis on reducing our carbon footprint. Externally, we continue to position M as an open house where everyone is welcome. We will do our best to bring even more young people and people from different social backgrounds to the museum, that's a challenge for all museums. Whatever your level of eduction, coming into contact with art is a liberating experience that makes you a more complete human being. That's the essence for me."