Bank Van Breda sees in the new KMSKA the perfect combination of tradition and innovation

The specialized bank for professionals and entrepreneurs, Bank Van Breda, does not often enter into art and cultural partnerships. But for the KMSKA, they were happy to make an exception. CEO Dirk Wouters explains why.

Why do you consider it important to engage in this kind of partnership?

Dirk Wouters: “We generally allocate our budgets to organisations and initiatives that are relevant to our target audience: entrepreneurs and professionals. We also support philanthropic projects, ranging from Artsen Zonder Vakantie to Ligna Verda. Our bank’s employees are very actively engaged as well, and they can put forward projects and charitable causes that they believe deserve our attention.

For any business, it is crucial that its core activities are socially relevant and contribute to a better society. As an organisation, you have a relationship of give and take with society and the planet. That is the essence of corporate social responsibility. The days when the sole focus was on maximising shareholder value are truly behind us. At a time of ever-increasing technological innovation, genuine human contact and meaningful experiences are more important than ever. For me, the KMSKA is all about that experience.”

Why did you choose the KMSKA?

“During the pandemic, we were still behind our screens, confined to our own individual experiences. Today, the great challenge is to rebuild meaningful connections with one another and with the world around us. Digital experiences can play a role in this, but the question remains how we can keep human encounters alive. People are social animals, and art is simply best experienced live and collectively. The KMSKA literally provides the space to make those encounters possible.

We are also neighbours: our headquarters are just a kilometre from the KMSKA. And of course, there is a parallel between art and entrepreneurship. Artists are passionate and creative, and so are our clients. Creativity needs inspiration, and art inspires.

I also think it is incredibly important that the museum is accessible and reaches audiences who might not previously have been inclined to visit a museum. Visiting museums is also very in vogue. If you want to visit a particular exhibition today, you often have to book well in advance to get in.

Furthermore, the new KMSKA is a blend of tradition and innovation. We recognise that. We’ll be celebrating our 100th anniversary in 2030, but we strive to remain open to innovation every single day.”   

What is your favourite work from the collection?  

“I never tire of James Ensor’s work. I also have a reproduction of one of his paintings at home, The Intrigue, the one featuring the masks. I feel a great deal of authenticity and humanity in his work. Every person is unique and a little wonder in their own right. But Ensor likes to magnify these traits. I find it fascinating and stimulating that we all have our own individuality, and that we can encounter such strong and distinctive personalities.”

What is your company most looking forward to during this partnership?

“We hope that the people we have invited or encouraged to visit the KMSKA will come away saying that it was a truly special experience from start to finish.

I also see an opportunity to use the museum as an asset to encourage people from outside Antwerp to discover the city and experience what it has to offer. We are a Belgian bank with clients across the country, but we want everyone to have a taste of the charm of our city and its crown jewel.

My dream is that our entrepreneurs and professionals will be able to talk about how experiencing art and visiting the museum moved and inspired them to build their businesses with even more passion and creativity.”