Philippe Van Cauteren, the artistic director of the museum S.M.A.K. in Gent, Belgium, will be the curator of the 2027 edition of the Art Encounters Biennial.

The appointment marks the start of the collaboration between Art Encounters and S.M.A.K, Gent’s contemporary art museum, one structured around artistic co-production and professional training, to develop “a sustainable model of conceiving and implementing a contemporary art biennial,” the Art Encounters Foundation said.

The involvement of Van Cauteren will highlight “a curatorial vision built around the dialogue with the artists and the critical reflection on the role of the museum and the biennial in contemporary society.”

Van Cauteren has been leading S.M.A.K for more than 15 years. Under his management, the museum started numerous collaborations with artists, biennials, and other major institutions, including participations at the Venice Biennale. His curatorial practice is known for its closeness to artists and the ability to connect local scenes to international cultural networks, according to a presentation from the Art Encounters Foundation. Among other works, he authored the volume Letters to Artists, a compilation of correspondence to artists in the past 15 years.

The Art Encounters Biennial is a project of the Art Encounters Foundation, taking place “at the intersection between an experimental art festival and a contemporary art biennial. It is based on ample curatorial research in dialogue with Timișoarei’s historical and socio-cultural context.”

The upcoming edition of the Art Encounters Biennial is set to take place in Timișoara in May-June 2027.

(Photo courtesy of Art Encounters Foundation)

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