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State of the art Gallery owner Xavier Hufkens
Like a kid in a toy store
That is how Xavier Hufkens feels when the crates open, and he can see for himself what an artist has been working on.
“For me, everything has to be spiced.”
Xavier Hufkens on art, nature, and architecture
The origins of Xavier Hufkens' unbreakable bond with art were not just puppy love. It arose from an intense love at first sight that he experienced as a 14-year old boy. He already knew then that one day, he would open his own gallery. Because when art touches your soul, you have to listen. Entering one of Xavier Hufkens’ galleries is quite an experience. It is an overwhelming encounter with art as well as with architecture and nature. The abundant sunlight streaming in, the warm atmosphere, the views of greenery, the whole environment touches the soul.
It is difficult to put into words, but you get the full picture once you are inside. “If there’s one thing a gallery has to have, it’s got to be personality and character." In 1987, Xavier Hufkens opened his first art gallery near the Brussels South Station. This gallery has introduced some of the most influential contemporary artists to Brussels at a time when they were still relatively unknown. They include Thierry De Cordier, Antony Gormley, Félix Gonzalez-Torres, Rosemarie Trockel, to name a few. Hufkens soon became an established name in the art world, and his career developed in leaps and bounds.
Out of his love for art, he opened two more venues in Brussels later. Galerie Van Eyck was the last one he opened in June. Was having three galleries in the same city a deliberate choice? Xavier Hufkens has no doubt: “My soul is in Brussels. And so are my galleries.”
— A proud Brussels native St. Joris, Rivoli, and Van Eyck. These three different venues are all within walking distance of each other. “Artists, collectors, and my team all need to know where to find me. A gallery owner has to be physically present in the place where he belongs. I work all over the world, but always from one place,” explains Xavier Hufkens. The current worldview supports and confirms his vision. “Today’s world has less need for bricks and mortar, especially when you think of all the virtual possibilities that allow us to travel from a screen to other places. Therefore, a physical gallery must be a strong central core, a base with an abundance of personality. One thing that’s for sure is that a gallery has to have personality.” “Without an identity, it would just be a cheap outlet system. That doesn't interest me.
Entering one of my galleries should be an experience you won't find anywhere else. With me, everything is spiced. And it's that pinch of salt and pepper that typifies Xavier Hufkens. The experience in my galleries has everything to do with art and architecture. As well as with our team. And the rooms. We don’t offer a venue that just exhibits young or
Early this year Xavier, Hufkens celebrated the opening of his third exhibition venue in Brussels. Yet, at the age of eighteen, he decided to go to law school. Even so, he felt it was the wrong decision right from the start. During a reorientation period and nine-months’ military service, he opened a project and art venue in Saint-Gilles in the evenings for pleasure. That's where the gallery owner can still be found to this day. He has an eye for contemporary art and young talent and is now one of Europe’s most influential gallery owners.
Tracey Emin – Detail of love
That's the name of the solo exhibition that should have been on display at Galerie Van Eyck. This artist explores love, loss, and desire with various works, such as large-scale paintings, gouaches on paper, and new neon projects.
established artists. We use venues that are right for the particular works of art. The art takes precedence over both the visitor and the artist. Never the other way around.”
— A loyal creature Good art is hard to find. Even for Xavier Hufkens, and he's been at it for 33 years. The gallery owner collaborates with a regular set of artists. “I am a loyal creature and believe in what I am doing. I do what I do purely because I want to be involved in art, and because I want to engage with artists. Art is part of our lives. This has been true ever since the prehistoric rock paintings broke away from the rock wall and became paintings.”
Art touches the soul. But, so does nature. Hufkens likes to point out the garden at the back of the gallery (developed by landscape designer Martin Wirtz). “For me, art and nature are the perfect combination. Two of my three venues are green. Looking at both art and nature is a unique experience. You won’t find this kind of thing in many galleries. It also gives character to our venues.”
“The artists I represent are an expression of my own tastes. Sometimes they diametrically oppose each other. Others may see a running thread in those choices, but I actually feel very free in them. You create a gallery most of all for yourself.”
— A visionary Apart from the art, a gallery’s design and architecture also play significant roles. Xavier Hufkens likes to collaborate with big (Belgian) names for the designs of his galleries. “I love architecture. For me, the building must be devoted to art in the first place.”
“I love excellence. Otherwise, I wouldn't be working with Paul Robbrecht, Harry Gugger, Bernard Dubois, or Martin Wirtz. But always in the service of art. And people! Works of art must be protected by architecture and be given the right daylight and beautiful walls, but they should not dominate.”
For the new venue, architect Bernard Dubois created a design consisting of large and smaller white cubes. The result is a beautiful gallery in which art, light, and nature can interact. This combination can also be seen in the other venues. For example, the main gallery St. Joris is currently being renovated. Paul Robbrecht, the architect who designed the gallery 30 years ago, is now in charge of the building’s refurbishment. The venue will be bigger and brighter. Landscape architect Martin Wirtz will once again take care of nature. Galerie Rivoli was designed by the Swiss architect Harry Gugger.
— A happy man It is obvious: Xavier Hufkens has found his passion and will never give it up. “Ever since I started as a gallery owner, I never looked back a single moment. While I can still pick up the phone, I will always be an art dealer. This job is a real privilege. To be so close to man's soul? This is everything to me.”
Rabbits - David Altmejd
The artist David Altmejd is exhibiting a series of hybrid sculptures in which people and rabbits are fused into strange and enigmatic shapes. These works exemplify some of his oeuvre’s most enduring topics, namely transformation, metamorphosis, and regeneration.
With their rich arrays of materials, including crystals, resin, and furs, these anthropomorphic works are a disturbing presence in the venue. They are seductive in their visual complexity but nerve-wracking in their otherworldliness.
