A general view of the Galerie La Forest Divonne with Vincent Bioulès on the right and Guy de Malherbe left.

Spending a week end in Brussels is always great fun especially when you go for a dear friend’s birthday party. And there are enough contemporary art galleries to fill a long afternoon. I had already seen the Daniel Templon gallery situated next door to « la Patinoire royale » a  former skating ring, which opened a year ago with trumpets and a ball, given by its owners Valérie Bach and Philippe Austruy. The space, decorated by Pierre Yovanovitch, is so beautiful and overwhelming, that only a strong exhibition of Kinetic art could make it work. The kindness of the staff and the relaxed atmosphere, contrasted heavily with lesser spaces in Paris or Chelsea. It is a must to visit. (rue Veydt, 15)

Jean de Malherbe, in front of a Jean-Bernard Métais, in his new gallery in Brussels, photo France Dubois

And it was an excellent introduction to a smaller but no less attractive new gallery, opened by thirty year old Jean de Malherbe and his mother Marie-Hélène de la Forest Divonne, in an art déco Horta house, with a huge glass roof. The show “Shared Passion” opened last week with a choice of sculptures and paintings.
Most artists shown here, in the 8 m high space, come from the Paris gallery, La Forest Divonne, on rue des Beaux Arts, but with time there will also be younger artists discovered by Jean. I was happy to see works by Arthur Aillaud and Vincent Bioulès, Pierre Buraglio and Astrid de la Forest, whose black and white mountains always make me happy.
Jean-Bernard Métais, who works mostly with sand, charmed me again with the large new pieces he shows there. Watching the sand create new sculptures within the art piece is fascinating.

Colonne torse, 2003, newspaper and metal by Bernadette Chené.

It was interesting to see how architecture can change one’s perception of a work of art, and this particular space at the end of a narrow garden, is spectacular. After almost thirty years on the Paris scene, Marie Hélène de la Forest Divonne and her son, found a second home in Brussels where serious collectors are so active. It is well worth a visit. (Galerie La Forest Divonne, Rue Hôtel des Monnaies 66) And in Paris, on 12 rue des Beaux Arts, the show of Alexandre Hollan’s new works has just opened.