M HKA - On the Spot

Koen Theys 'Personal Odradek', 1997 - M HKA-Collection

We are honoured to present Koen Theys', Personal Odradek as part of M HKA On the Spot. Together with 30 Antwerp art galleries, art spaces and Muhka we show what connects us. From 14 May to 20 June 2026, works from the Muhka-collection will be on view in 30 galleries and art spaces across the city. Together, we underline the importance of this unique collection: as the heart of the museum, a driver for the arts field and a major asset for Antwerp. Also on view during Antwerp Art Weekend.

Odradek is a fictional creature from Franz Kafka’s short story Die Sorge des Hausvaters. It resembles a spool of thread and dwells in the basements near people. The Odradek does nothing, barely lives, and has no purpose whatsoever. Koen Theys has applied this principle to his work and life. Personal Odradek is a tangle of wire from which images of all works made by Koen Theys between 1987 and 1997 are suspended.