CIAP is an independent association for contemporary art. CIAP was founded in 1976 and its operating methods are very comparable to the German model of the Kunstverein, a model that is not well known in Flanders. CIAP aims to respond to the local art scene in a 2-way direction, on the one hand by presenting from within the local context towards a larger (eu)regional public and on the other hand by boosting the local artists, art-professionals and public by showing innovative international artistic developments.