Most of the 's acquisitions date from the 1970s and reflect the widening boundaries of art practice from that time. There is a strong emphasis on new media art forms with works by Dan Flavin, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, Daniel Buren and Ulay and Marina Abramovic representing the shift that took place in the '70s towards a more performative, socially engaged art. The evolution of the sculptural form is also well documented and there are works by Anish Kapoor, Tony Cragg, Richard Deacon and Bill Woodrow that illustrate the changing nature of the object in contemporary art. Although the museum has received several donations that have augmented the international dimension of the collection, including some 160 works from the Gordon Matta Clark Foundation, simply doesn't have the scope to tell the complex story of modern art presented at Tate Modern or the Centre Georges Pompidou. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Like the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), has a strong commitment to the national art scene and 50% of works acquired are by Belgian artists. The international nature of the collection provides a context in which to understand and evaluate these local practitioners. Although the museum officially represents all Belgian artists in practice there is a Flemish bias. Some of the artists such as Marcel Broodthaers and Panamarenko were already names recognised and collected beyond the Belgian border while others such as Guillaume Bijl and Luc Tuymans have used as a stepping stone to international acclaim.

has not dedicated any particular area in the museum to the display of the permanent collection. In fact the only fixed artwork in the building is the remarkably fluid Keith Haring mural in the cafeteria that was commissioned for 's official opening. Instead the museum's entire exhibition space remains flexible, with rooms being used for contemporary exhibitions and works from the collection as appropriate. There is always some of the collection on display but new readings and interpretations are generated from the changing works on show and the different spaces used. The success of this constant reinvention depends both on the contemporary nature of the collection, the fact that the curators are dealing with works that are rarely separated by more than thirty years, and the relatively numerous curatorial propositions being offered to the public. Unlike Tate Modern that is locked into a display of its collection for the next five years, can present several permutations and combinations of its collection in one calendar year.

is one of many newcomers to a growing global list of museums of modern and contemporary art. It will be interesting to see how these institutions fare as their curatorial responsibilities increase and more pressure is placed on available resources. Will these museums be able to retain their experimental approach when their storerooms are laden with history? When a museum such as , or indeed IMMA, is also treating the complex questions of identity and self-representation, by privileging the work of national artists and establishing a forum for local work in relation to the international art scene, it would seem as if the need for historical narratives is at least as important as the avant-garde demand for the new.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp, Belgium; Leuvenstraat 32; 2000 Antwerpen; Tel: +33 (03) 2385960; Fax: +33 (03) 2162486; Tuesday - Sunday 10am-5pm