Despite the many claims of its death, painting remains a thriving art form. This group exhibition featuring work by more than 70 artists outlines the medium's recent evolutions and trends in Belgium.

Painting after painting showcases the work of over seventy contemporary painters living and working in Belgium. Without striving for completeness, S.M.A.K. attempts to outline the recent developments and trends in the medium. Artists today draw on the motifs and techniques of the past, but equally explore and push the boundaries of the discipline. Some create narrative works addressing their daily lives, political and social issues, or questions of identity, gender and representation. Others adopt a more abstract or formalist language and explore the relationship with other contemporary image-making forms.

Painting after painting aims to celebrate the depth and complexity of the medium painting. The exhibition is complemented by a richly illustrated catalogue, featuring essays by Dominic van den Boogerd and Tanja Boon. Furthermore, S.M.A.K. will transform Room 1 into a painting studio throughout the exhibition period, offering visitors, including groups and schools, an opportunity to express their own artistic creativity.

With works by Charlotte Vandenbroucke, Libasse Ka, Hadassah Emmerich, Tatjana Gerhard, Lisa Vlaemminck, Charline Tyberghein, Lysandre Begijn, Marie Zolamian, Veerle Beckers, Matthieu Ronsse, Bart Stolle, Sarah Smolders, Shirley Villavicencio Pizango, Nelleke Cloosterman, Vedran Kopljar (& parents), Thom Trojanowski, Kati Heck, Anne Van Boxelaere, Antoine Goossens, Frederik Lizen, Bram Demunter, Stijn Cole, Nel Aerts, William Ludwig Lutgens, Carole Vanderlinden, Tina Gillen, Joëlle Dubois, Vincent Geyskens, Felix De Clercq, Dieter Durinck, Kristof Santy, Michaël Van den Abeele, Anastasia Bay, Karel Thienpont, Melissa Gordon, Emmanuelle Quertain, Carlotta Bailly-Borg, Jannis Marwitz, Michiel Ceulers, Victoria Palacios, Leen Voet, Monika Stricker, Anna Zacharoff, Gijs Milius, Che Go Eun, Hannah De Corte, Sanam Khatibi, Nokukhanya Langa, Henrik Olai Kaarstein, Natasja Mabesoone, Julien Meert, Aurélie Gravas, Pieter Vermeersch, Jonas Dehnen, Samuel Hindolo, Loïc Van Zeebroek, Helmut Stallaerts, Adam Leech, Louise Delanghe, Brieuc Dufour, Yann Freichels, Anthony Ngoya, Nina Gross, Jérôme Degive & Manuel Falcata, Koen van den Broek, Mae Dessauvage, Ben Sledsens, Julien Saudubray, Diego Herman, Pieter Jennes, Nelson Louis, Luís Lázaro Matos and Bendt Eyckermans.