Verduyn Gallery Rethinks The Art Gallery Reconnecting with Nature

Introduction: The City Center Art Gallery Revisited

Traditionally, art galleries are located in commercial properties in city centers, most often near other galleries. Large windows with excellent visibility and a continuous stream of passers-by aim to lure in as many potential clients as possible. But are these busy metropolises—such as London, New York, Paris, Brussels, or Berlin—an ideal setting for the experience of art?

The only thing which is constant is change, dixit the Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. Cities are changing, and so is the economic efficacy of commercial properties for art galleries. Studies have shown that fewer people are located in cities, particularly medium-sized cities, with rental prices rising exponentially. As a result, author Magnus Resch asks the following question in his publication Management of Art Galleries:

“For galleries, rent is the highest cost, and particularly for city galleries, 81% of which are in prime locations. Art Enthusiasts and the Opening Crowd, neither of whom have any potential as buyers, form the biggest groups of visitors to a gallery. Real potential clients do not just show up randomly; they organize their visits in advance. Galleries must therefore ask themselves why they maintain expensive spaces in prime locations when the benefits are relatively small. (…)”

Even more, disregarding economic motives, maybe it is more important to ask ourselves how art can be experienced differently. Is it necessary for an art gallery to be located in a city center, or can it revive in a different form, for instance, in the countryside? Gallery director Stefanie Verduyn rethinks the traditional art gallery model with Verduyn Gallery, located in a unique setting consisting of three renovated farm buildings covering approximately 6.000 square feet of exhibition space. Even more, the large domain functions as a sculpture garden, integrating art with its idyllic environment.

Willem Elias—philosopher, lecturer, and author—traveled to the Flemish Ardennes to discover Verduyn Gallery. Further, we also have a closer look at Verduyn Gallery’s current exhibition, Of Mice and Men.

A Symbiosis of Nature, Heritage and Contemporary Art — Verduyn Gallery in the Flemish Ardennes

An essay by Willem Elias — translated by Julien Delagrange

The disadvantage of l’embarras du choix when it comes to the abundant cultural offer in Brussels is one might need to remember to explore Flanders or Wallonia. When Ulrike Bolenz—an artist with whom I recently worked on a monographic publication—invited me to visit her work at a group exhibition in Moregem, I happily agreed. A borough of Wortegem-Petegem, a stone’s throw from Oudenaarde, the city of Adriaan Brouwer.

Our visit to Verduyn Gallery was a true revelation. Ulrike was right: ça vaut le detour. It’s worth the detour. The Flemish Ardennes are always a true pleasure to navigate. The iconic cobblestones make speed bumps unnecessary, conveniently slowing you down to admire and enjoy the scenic surroundings. Arriving at the gallery, there is a large domain with an old farm. The stables have been transformed into state-of-the-art exhibition spaces.

The restoration was carried out with care towards the original construction, respecting the proportions of traditional agricultural ergonomics. Charming. Simultaneously, this labyrinthine structure also provokes our thoughts, akin to the puzzle gradation of a work of art: a search of yourself, for yourself, suggested and evoked by the artist, crystallized in a powerful form. Moreover, agriculture and art are closer than one might think. The Latin colere refers to nurturing special attention to the way of working to improve creation.

After this reflection on nature and heritage, let’s take a moment to reflect on what is on display to articulate the spirit of the gallery rather than describing the artists’ works. Naturally, Verduyn Gallery sets up exhibitions displaying artworks for sale. But there is more. Stefanie Verduyn wants to realize her dream. She aims to create a place where people reflect on our existence, in which art is a moment of rest. The French philosopher Georges Bataille sees the Lascaux caves as a turning point in cultural history. The human technique is no longer solely focused on the usefulness of the utensil: pot, flint, arrow, and bow, but also takes time for the inefficient, beautiful shape on the rock wall.

The Knokke galleries—a high society gallery district on the Belgian coast—are part of a shopping center where the symbolism of wealth can be purchased, next to the jewelry shop. Stefanie wants to create a hearth where people experience, talk to each other, listen to music, enjoy a good meal from time to time with a good glass, and, above all, stay to observe in peace. The authentic, restored farm buildings provide space for this and allow the art to breathe, far from the sterile spaces of the ‘white cube’ model of exhibiting—as has long been the rule, the work of art in a clean white space without traces of existence. ‘Museum mausoleum’ was the telling slogan in the 1960s artistic protests.

Art is life. Stefanie Verduyn was stimulated during her youth by the passion of two friends, physicians, for their collection. There was a spark. Lessons at the Kortrijk art academy gave her new insights concerning the material side of the creative process and taught her how to deal with art. Stefanie has a soft spot for what she likes to call Körperlich. Many of the works of art I saw during my first visit indeed depart from the physicality as a world of experience and as a system of emotional expression. Even Nick Ervinck’s oeuvre is not part of the history of cool abstraction. It examines biological structures and, in that sense, is a model of a vitalist philosophy.

Being struck by surprise is an essential aspect of her artistic ability. But an intellectual reflection evoked by art is also an added value in visiting an exhibition. In this regard, she pays tribute to the message of the first lesson of my art education course, which dealt with the concept of ‘cultural participation’: the spectator must leave the exhibition ‘changed,’ unlike entering it. The farm structure makes it possible to create a kind of artistic archipelago so that each artist obtains their necessary intimacy and does not disappear in the maze of a group exhibition.

When it comes to Verduyn Gallery’s audience, Stefanie opts for diversity. She wishes to stimulate encounters between artists, art critics, enthusiasts, and collectors. In small or more significant groups, because it’s beautiful to hold colloquia in such a place, also on subjects other than art. Or even better, spend some time with friends in the B&B, also located on the site, to achieve a symbiosis of nature, art, and heritage. Verduyn Gallery opened in 2020. The pandemic may have imposed its rules, but at the same time, it allowed people to enjoy art in a rural setting in a modest manner.

Current Exhibition: Of Mice and Men

Appositely, from May 15 until July 3, 2022, Verduyn Gallery is presenting Of Mice and Men, a group exhibition showcasing a selection of fifteen national and international artists.

The exhibition title is a direct reference to the eponymous novella and true classic of modern literature by John Steinbeck. Even though the book was published for the first time in 1937, the story never lost its relevance and wit. Of Mice and Men discusses the importance of having dreams, friendships, and our relation towards—and similarities with—animals. However, it also tackles loneliness, testing socio-economic times, and how we can harm animals (and people) or our direct surroundings by inhuman behavior.

Across three different buildings, the exhibition includes the works by Steven Peters Caraballo (BE), Francesca Casu (IT), Greet Desal (BE), Marc Janssens (BE), Peter Kohl (AT), Gino Lucas (BE), Karel Mechnig (BE), Lo Chan Peng (TW), Andreas Senoner (IT), Karel Thienpont (BE) and Tamara Van San (BE). Furthermore, the domain functions as a sculpture garden showcasing outdoor sculptures by Stief DeSmet (BE), Nick Ervinck (BE), and Pieter Obels (NE).

Discover more at the website of Verduyn Gallery here, or feel free to visit the show in Moregem, Belgium, from May 15 until July 3, 2022, on Saturday and Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00, or by appointment.

Last Updated on May 8, 2023