Vanhaerents Art Collection

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NEW EXHIBITION

VIEWING DEPOT EXH#03 – YEAR OF THE SNAKE

Drawing inspiration from the Chinese calendar and astrology, this 2025 exhibition aptly finds its thematic core in the zodiac sign of the dragon, symbolising creativity, curiosity, confidence and generosity.

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LOOKING AHEAD

TO SUMMARIZE 50 YEARS OF COLLECTING

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The publication Looking Ahead celebrates the 50th anniversary of the collection and provides an overview of the exhibitions of the past 15 years.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The Vanhaerents Art Collection is a unique and comprehensive collection of contemporary art, assembled by Walter Vanhaerents and his children Els and Joost. It enjoys the individual approach to collecting of its founders, as well as their shared passion for new and provocative art.

The origins of the Vanhaerents Art Collection date back to the 1970s, when a young Walter Vanhaerents began amassing his first works of art. Gathering pieces that were considered extremely fierce and radical at the time, he laid the groundwork for a collection that nowadays ranges among the most prestigious worldwide.

The collection profoundly reflects the diversity and vitality of current art practices. Both established and emerging artists are represented in its holdings, with works in various media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, photography and video.

David Altmejd, The Hunter, 2007

Vaughn Spann, Sentinel, 2019

Paul McCarthy, Untitled (Jack), 2002

Christopher Wool, Untitled, 1990

Bruce Nauman, Four part large animals, 1989

Vanhaerents Family

Walter Vanhaerents

Artists whose work plays a key role in the collection: Bruce Nauman, James Lee Byars, Christopher Wool, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Paul McCarthy, Bill Viola, Cindy Sherman, Ugo Rondinone …

The collection is housed in Brussels, a city that especially in the last few decades has become synonymous with artistic experimentation. In the colourful Dansaert district, a lively neighbourhood downtown, the VanhaerentsArtCollection has found a favourable residence, where it enjoys the proximity of major public art institutions and galleries.

The Building

Previous exhibition - Sympathy for the Devil

Previous exhibition - Disorder in the House

The Vanhaerents Art Collection occupies a three-floor industrial premises from 1926. The former sanitary warehouse, covering a total surface of 38,000 square feet, was repurposed into a lofty exhibition, storage and office space by the leading Belgian architecture firm Robbrecht and Daem.

In recent years the Vanhaerents Art Collection has organised three group shows and five solo exhibitions of artists whose work is represented in the collection. In 2015 the collection held its first major exhibition outside Belgium on the occasion of the 56th Venice Biennale.

After ten-years, the VanhaerentsArtCollection has decided to radically alter the ways in which it introduces its holdings to the public. Experimenting with innovative ways of linking the presentation and daily management of artworks, it has adopted the format of a viewing depot that naturally lets aesthetics and functionality intertwine.

Previous exhibition - Disorder in the house

Previous exhibition - Sympathy for the Devil

Previous exhibition - Man in the Mirror