Yves Goldstein announced on Tuesday that he is stepping down as general director of the Kanal-Centre Pompidou museum.
Goldstein intends to remain in his role until a successor is appointed early next year, he told De Standaard and Le Soir. Goldstein has led the project since 2017.
The Kanal-Centre Pompidou will house modern and contemporary art in a former Citroën factory in Brussels. At 40,000 square metres, it is set to become one of the largest museums in Europe, with significant freely accessible public space. The total budget is estimated at around €230 million.
Goldstein’s successor will need to manage rising costs against the backdrop of Brussels’ broader budget crisis, while making the museum an attractive destination for both national and international visitors. Although the new regional government has approved the operating budget, the museum will be required to make substantial savings on its day-to-day operations and artistic programming.
“The challenges facing his successor are twofold and immense,” Brussels state secretary Ans Persoons told Belga on Tuesday. “On the one hand, to put Brussels on the international map as a hub for modern art, and on the other, to attract the people of Brussels into the building so that the whole site is bustling with life every day.”
The museum is set to open on 28 November 2026.
