The 5 best independent art galleries

This gallery has been located since 2010 in a former anatomy theatre inside the old Bijloke hospital. You may spend some time wandering through the warren of former hospital corridors before you find the place. Four shows a year are held in the striking neo-Gothic interior.

Hidden down an alley in the Dampoort neighbourhood, Riot is one of the coolest art spaces in town. Located in a former beer bottling factory, it sells rare art books and magazines, organises edgy art exhibitions and publishes limited edition art books.

The 13th-century Caermersklooster monastery on the edge of Patershol has been radically transformed into an experimental white space for art. Opened in 2019, Kunsthal hosts edgy artist interventions, music and film inside a striking Gothic chapel.

You could easily walk past this creative hub located in an old welding works across the road from the Dok Noord complex. This centre run by the artist collective Smoke & Dust organises some of the most exciting exhibitions in Ghent, along with debates, happenings and outdoor installations.

Tatjana Pieters exhibits contemporary artists in a stunning gallery space on the edge of town. She organises shows featuring experimental artists like Audrey Cotton, Philippe Van Snick and Derek Sullivan.