The news has dropped. Brussels' long awaited Kanal-Centre Pompidou for Modern and Contemporary Art is finally due to open to the public on 28 November 2026.
In the works since 2021, the 40,000 square metres ex-Citroën garage will be transformed into a museum dedicated to hosting exhibitions, performances, dance, music and cinema - all while respecting the rich essence of the canal area.
Opening in a five-year long collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, Kanal will combine displays of 300 works from the renowned Pompidou collection with Kanal's own collection, including works from local institutions.
Located on trade route linking the north and south of the country, Kanal pays homage to the industrial boom and migrant communities that settled along the canal "while narrating international art histories."
"A testimony to industrialisation"
The five-storey structure will be home to mass archives, a playground, collections, a library, café, restaurant, bakery and rooftop bar with panoramic view of the city.
The lowest room retains the concrete vaults of the original factory as well as the original ramps.
The museums' CIVA wing will dedicate itself to architectural and landscaping projects. This will be accompanied by a reading room and study spaces where artistic director, Kasia Redzisz says "everyone can enter and do their homework."
Redzisz highlights public accessibility high on the agenda, stemming from the fact that Kanal is "a public institution and you cannot think about the museum in 2026 otherwise."
There will be free archival exhibitions in the reading areas and throughout so that even those who don't want to enter the gallery "can also encounter art in the public spaces."
The central showroom will be the 21-metre high "porous" glass clad structure with large guillotine windows that open out into the Sainctelette Square. The area's tidying up will act as a literal and symbolic joining of the East and West sides of the city.
A rendering of the 21-metre tall showroom
Credit: KANAL
The presence of Maximilian Park, the Kaai Theater, and the Beco Park form the basis of a creative and cultural hub in the canal district - to be further expanded by Kanal's exhibitions focusing on transgressing disciplines of visual arts, fashion, and film.
"Its own identity"
"Making sure that people feel that they belong" is something that Kanal pays attention to - a trademark that makes the gallery stand out amongst other institutions in the city.
The museum will act as a showcase for dance, performance, theatre as well as screenings, talks, concerts and club nights. With over 400 seats and a grand open standing space, the musical space will hold audiences of up to 800.
Throughout the building, there will be pop-up performances in the most unexpected of corners - staying true to Kanal's ethos of breaking out of confined spaces through diverting expected norms.
Redzisz emphasises the importance of Kanal's unique "strong curatorial voice" comprised of a mix of local and international curators who work mostly in-house.
Miet Warlop 'Amusement Park.'
Credit: Michiel Devijver
There will be ample space including works made by contemporary artists living and working in Belgium and dedicated photography spaces.
Kanal plans to collaborate with other museums, including Morpho in Amsterdam.
Future exhibitions are set to include curator Caroline Dumallin and artist Miet Warlop, who will represent Belgium at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
