BRDCST organises concerts in the hidden gem VanhaerentsArtCollection
An impressive art collection in an old industrial warehouse close to AB
They still exist: places in the Belgian capital that are uncharted territory for the general public. Enter: the outright impressive VanhaerentsArtCollection. An A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E hidden gem, located in a former industrial building in Brussels’ Dansaert area, a stone’s throw away from AB.
It was the love of experimental cinema that led Walter Vanhaerents to Andy Warhol's work in the ‘70s, and thus, by extension, to Pop Art too. (Vanhaerents still considers Warhol to be his mentor, by the way.) Ever since, the family has been collecting contemporary art with the future in mind.
The now-renowned collection has developed into one of the biggest private collections in Europe. It contains art by icons like Ai Weiwei, Matthew Barney, Olafur Eliasson, Gilbert & George, Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley (who’s currently exhibiting in KMSKA), David Hockney, Jeff Koons, Paul McCarthy, Cindy Sherman and Bill Viola.
VanhaerentsArtCollection first opened its doors in 2007, not coincidentally the year in which Walter's wife celebrated her 60th birthday. During the first ten years of their existence, pop culture had a big influence on the exhibitions - they even bore the names of iconic pop songs such as Disorder in the House by Warren Zevon, Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones and Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson.
Their unorthodox approach was aptly described by The Financial Times: “The first shock is the ‘Viewing Depot’, designed by the Belgian architecture firm Robbrecht and Daem to resemble the open storage of museums such as the Schaulager in Basel. As you enter the refurbished 1926 industrial building, spread over three floors and occupying around 3,500 sq m, many sculptures are still in crates, swathed in transparent plastic. Paintings are kept on storage racks, but can be pulled out for viewing.”
BRDCST is honoured to make its debut at this museum. Not only will concerts be held here, but BRDCST visitors will also be able to admire the works before, during and after the shows.
Finally, a beautiful quote from artist Ugo Rondinone: “Walter Vanhaerents is a visionary collector. A collector who journeys into the wilderness of contemporary art – away from art advisers, comforts and norms – and entangles himself with the new.”