Philippe Van Cauteren, director of theMunicipal Museum of Contemporary Art(S.M.A.K.) in Ghent, has for many yearswritten letters to artists all over the world.He directs his thoughts in a very personalmanner to artists who inspire him.Van Cauteren's letters are written in astraightforward and accessible way; at times,they even verge on the poetic. They offer aninsight into how a curator experiences andinterprets art, and also provide a clear andsuccinct introduction to the work of eachartist to whom he writes.This richly illustrated publication containsmore than 100 letters. In an introductorymanifesto - a final letter to Jan Hoet, hispredecessor and the founder of S.M.A.K.- Van Cauteren also describes the 'idealmuseum of the future'.This book is a reflection of the contemporarycultural arena, the roles of a museum and anartist within this arena and the way in whichdivers parties can collaborate constructively.It features letters to, among others, MichaëlBorremans, Berlinde De Bruyckere, JanFabre, Adrian Ghenie, Jan Hoet, MarkManders, Thomas Ruff, Pascale MarthineTayou, Ed Templeton, Rinus Van de Velde, Vincent van Gogh.