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In 2005, Vaast Colson created You Used to Be Part of Something, a gigantic cake made of pink foam rubber, cut into twelve equal slices. Each slice was presented as an autonomous artwork and subsequently distributed among various public and private collections. Twenty years later, M HKA is bringing this sculptural puzzle back together—reuniting all twelve parts in a single space for the first time. 

You Used to Be Part of Something prompts questions about the circulation of artworks within a world of collections, markets, and institutions. The work hovers at the threshold between sculpture and concept, between material presence and symbolic value, between original and copy. With its reference to pie charts, the work draws connections between individualisation, distribution, and consumption. The title conveys a sense of loss—a loss of community, of artistic integrity, of connectedness. 

The presentation is accompanied by a research project in collaboration with the University of Antwerp, focusing on the conservation of artworks made from synthetic materials. The reunion of the twelve sculptures offers a rare opportunity to study the influence of time, environment, and material on identical artworks. In addition, an in-depth public programme brings together voices from within and beyond the art world to reflect on the title.