Objects With Narratives burst onto the art and design scene with a verve and energy that has established its name globally in a few short years. Cultural Union visits their landmark new gallery in Brussels and speaks to its co-founder Robbe Vandewyngaerde about their meteoric rise, Belgian artists Ben Storms and Lionel Jadot, and their participation in the upcoming BRAFA Art Fair.

Brussels is on a roll. Already a cultural powerhouse, there’s a particular buoyancy to Belgium and its capital right now – and if proof were needed, look no further than the dazzling new Objects With Narratives gallery on Place du Grand Sablon in the heart of Brussels’ art and design quarter.

Such has been the gallery’s impact that it’s hard to believe Objects With Narratives is only a few years old (with the 2022 Collectible Fair marking its official debut). That they have achieved such cut-through already is perhaps due to the conviction with which they have approached every step so far, from the artists they have signed to the boldness of their exhibitions. And in keeping with this, there’s an appealing audacity that’s immediately evident upon walking into Grand Sablon 40, the Beaux-Arts palazzo they moved into earlier this year.

The gallery’s founders were not born into the gallery world. Robbe Vandewyngaerde and his brother Nik trained as engineers and architects, working with blue-chip architectural practices Herzog & de Meuron and OMA, while their close friend Oskar Eryatmaz brought expertise in finance and sales to the partnership.

“You do long hours in fantastic offices,” says Robbe of their time as architects. “But at some point, you start asking yourself who you are putting all these hours in for. Instead, we said: let’s create something together.”

So, the brothers began designing. “We made a chair, a stool, a lamp, a shelf. And the chair, especially, went a bit viral.”

In response, several galleries offered them representation. Robbe, Nik and Oskar immersed themselves in a world of artists, designers and galleries, but soon came up against some of the realities of the business – the lack of transparency in certain quarters; the murky contracts. “So we said: you know what, let’s create our own gallery.”

Robbe credits their friend Oskar with bringing vital business expertise to their creative instincts: “With Oskar, we became a proper gallery.” But while all three had roots in Belgium, they were scattered across Europe, with Robbe in the Netherlands, Nik in Switzerland and Oskar in Belgium. “We were a bit of a nomad’s gallery,” says Robbe. “It felt new and exciting.”

The gallery began asserting itself on the world stage, exhibiting at fairs such as PAD London and via a selection of online design marketplaces. “We had a lot of online clients by now,” he recalls, “but we began to realise we needed a physical space as well.”

The trio first settled on a gallery in Bruges, though it soon proved too small. Next came a collaboration in Hasselt, though sharing a space with other companies was not ideal.

“Then we met Anaïs Sandra Carion CEO of MAD Brussels,” says Robbe. “She told us about this fantastic place that had been closed for years. We went to have a look and fell in love with it.”

It’s not difficult to see why. The Grand Sablon 40 is a substantial corner townhouse in the heart of the Sablon with over 2,000 square metres (21,400 square feet) of floor space. Over the past century, it had served as the headquarters of a fur company, a museum, and the auction house of Pierre Bergé, husband of Yves Saint Laurent.

The Ballroom on the ground floor is a palatial hall of gilt, chandeliers, trompe-l’oeil and old masters. It provides an unexpected backdrop for the gallery’s contemporary sculptural pieces – and it works brilliantly, immediately demonstrating the versatility of functional design pieces more usually seen in ultra-contemporary settings. And while there’s drama in the lateral space, the ground floor also includes smaller, more intimate spaces such as the Director’s Office – less palatial, more like a period residential townhouse.

No less surprising is that the grand staircase winds up through the building to reveal a series of enormous white industrial spaces on the upper floors.

“From the beginning, we always said that if we had a gallery, we would never do a white cube – or where the space is too loud,” says Robbe. “But what’s beautiful here is that we have the contrast and we can combine them.”

We always said that if we had a gallery, we would never do a white cube – or where the space is too loud. But what’s beautiful here is that we have the contrast and we can combine them.

Robbe Vandewyngaerde, co-founder, Objects With Narratives

The celebrated Belgian artist Ben Storms takes up a significant proportion of the building’s top floor. It’s a wonderfully immersive space that allows each of the often monumental pieces enough room to breathe, and the viewer ample space to contemplate them in private. Seeing Storms’ work in this setting demonstrates what a perfect pairing of artist and gallery this is: there’s no better showcase for Storms’ work, and Storms is the personification of the gallery’s scale and ambition.

Unsurprisingly, the gallery courted Storms from their inception. “He denied us, twice,” says Robbe, “which, with all respect, he was right to as we were not ready.”

But following Objects With Narratives’ successful London shows with heavyweight artists Vladimir Slavov and Mircea Anghel – both of whom subsequently recommended the gallery to Storms – there ensued a period of intense discussions during which Storms was won over.

“He’s a guy that goes all in or nothing,” says Robbe. “And he went all in. We’re the same way.” Storms came on board just as the gallery was securing the Grand Sablon, and Objects With Narratives was able to offer significant space to its newest artist. “It was the right timing, the right moment.”

Storms’ work is now globally appreciated, with buyers coming from the US, Europe, South America, Indonesia, Korea and beyond – among them, private collectors, museums and organisations. Storms is a savvy operator, understanding the value of commercial collaboration in today’s art scene, and his partnerships include Cartier and Belgian luxury brand Delvaux. Far from lessening the collectability, these collaborations help drive gallery sales.

Lionel Jadot is one of the reasons why Belgium has been booming for the last ten years.”

Robbe Vandewyngaerde

Lionel Jadot is another major Belgian artist represented by the gallery. “Lionel is a powerhouse in Belgium,” says Robbe. “He’s been described as the Andy Warhol of the Brussels design scene.” Many will recognise his Lost Highway Armchair from design fairs or Instagram, and seeing it in the Grand Sablon 40 is a reminder of how effective Objects With Narratives is at showcasing such works. “Lionel brings so many people together; he creates a community of artists that all benefit from,” says Robbe. “He’s one of the reasons why Belgium has been booming for the last ten years.”

Alongside the select group of major and emerging artists represented by the gallery is a nascent series of global residencies, the first of which delves into the vibrant South Korean collectible design scene. “We’d already worked with Korean artist Hakmin Lee,” says Robbe, who describes how Lee, known for his playful sculptural pieces, opened up his address book. “When I visited South Korea last year, I discovered there’s so much talent there.”

Robbe also found a completely different artistic approach. “In Europe, you have an idea, you decide to make it and you start from there. In Korea, it’s more like you learn a craft or skill, which might take 15 years; and then you start creating a collection,” he explains. “It’s the opposite, which is beautiful. The skill there is unmatched. It’s incredible.”

While these artists were showing in major Korean galleries, they were unknown in Europe, and Objects With Narratives was keen to spotlight their work. “We knew we couldn’t suddenly represent 15 new artists in the gallery and ship everything over. So we chose seven or eight artists and put on a show in a historic palace in South Korea. And we were able to showcase their work to our clients via our website.” So successful was the global residency programme that the gallery is extending it, and a South African residency is currently under consideration for next year.

With Objects With Narratives now having a permanent base in Brussels, participating in BRAFA, Belgium’s most prestigious art and design, seems a natural step. “We visited last year,” says Robbe, “and we were blown away, both by the quality and the fair itself – it’s so well organised. We were very impressed.”

The highly selective BRAFA Art Fair is not an easy fair to get invited to, but the timing came together for both parties. The much-talked-about Sablon gallery had not escaped BRAFA’s notice, of course, and the fair’s management dropped in for a visit. And for Objects With Narratives – whose focus and sales had for a long time been global, there was an opportunity to deepen their relationship with their home market.

Taking stock of a meteoric few years is not easy amid the constant pressure of running a successful gallery. But recently, the three founders took a few days off to recharge and gain perspective.

“So far, we’re super-happy with every step we’ve taken,” says Robbe. “But the most important thing now is to focus on having clarity in our selection, our artists, where we’re going and what our message is; the exhibitions we do, the fairs we do – and what we say no to.

“Right now, our main focus is on Belgium and on building the strongest possible artist network. That’s the most important thing.”