It was a special treat to visit and have cocktails at the American Ambassador’s residence, Whitlock Hall on our first day in Brussels. Ambassador to Belgium, Ronald J. Gidwitz graciously hosted us. He discuss how the role of “Ambassador” has changed in the 21st Century. He told us security and keeping Americans safe is his number one role.
The Boghossian Foundation is a Cultural Center promoting East/West dialogue through modern and contemporary art. Housed in the Villa Empain, this foundation is an Art Deco tour de force. Each railing, light and wall paper echos the gems of the past Art Deco period. It is a visual breathtaking experience.
In Brussels the newly renovated Royal Museum for Central Africa just reopened. It is a historical museum showing the Belgium colonialism of Africa in a new way. African artifacts are present as works of art and displayed beautifully.
The big draw museum is the Musée Magritte which houses the largest collection of his oil paining, drawings, sculptures, photographs and other paraphernalia from Magritte’s artistic life. Give yourself a lot of time to enjoy the 3 floors of his works. The gift shop is very special. One can buy a bowler hat, a ceramic apple in all sizes, baby bibs and even sox by his artistic hand.
Visiting private collections are always an added plus when looking at art in a new city. Charles Rivera opened up his beautiful townhouse to share a bottom floor gallery with the public. On view were wonderful photograph by Candida Hofer, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Thomas Ruff.
Visiting the Vanhaerents Art Collection was was an amazing experience. Not only do they collect world class contemporary art, they display some of the works in the crates that the art was shipped in. In this way one can see the complications and difficulties of installing and transporting contemporary art. This incredible space is opened and free to the public. If you love contemporary art, this would be my first stop in Brussels.
Brussels has become a dynamic art city. Dealers, collectors and artists are enjoying the art energy in this community. Some contemporary art galleries that I visited are are top rated. Galerie Almine Rech, Galeries Xavier Hufkens and Irene Laub gallery which are all in the same neighborhood and a quick walk to each other.
A day trip to Ghent is worth the drive just to see the restoration process of Jan Van Eyck’s renowned altarpiece, “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” at the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent. Conservators from all over the world were contacted and their input has been a big part of the restoration process.
In the museum we saw a Luc Tuymans’s work being installed on the walls as a fresco. We had the good fortune of meeting the artist in his studio when we visited Antwerp later in the week. Tuyman’s solo show was featured at the Palazzo Grasso in Venice this summer.
Other artists that we met and visited them in their studios were sculpture Berlinde De Bruyckere and conceptual artist and sculpture Wim Delvoye.
We visited Bruges, which is a medieval perfectly preserved town from the 15th century. Bruges is very much a tourist town but a part of me wanted to rent a boat and float on their beautiful canals like every tourist.
In Antwerp we had a very special experience. We were invited to the home of May and Axel Vervoordt. They live in a gorgeous castle that dates from the 14th-28th Century. Axel is an international art dealer, designer, curator and art collector-genius. He makes “art markets” and sells at all the best international art fairs. As we walked through his home we were all overjoyed by his aesthetics and how he paired antiquities with minimal art and decor. It was an extraordinary experience. But there was more.
Vervoordt created Kanaal, a former beer distillery and converted the area to offices, housing, workshops and exhibition space and a restaurant.
This amazing trip started at the American Embassy in Belgium and ended with a trip to NATO. At the newly completed NATO building we met Kay Bailey Hutchinson, US ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. She showed us the main meeting room and explains where all the various countries sat. It was an awe inspiring experience. After, we were briefed on NATO and the importance of a strong organization of nations to fend off Russia and China. It was a real education.
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