The art of central banking
Most large banks worldwide have their own art collections, and some of those are open to the public.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes.
Corporate collections are all the rage, baby.
In fact, some of the biggest art collectors today are banks.
While these are private collections, usually only shown within their own buildings, others even have their own exhibition space.
The National Bank of Belgium, for instance, has a collection of contemporary (and predominantly) Belgian art. It began actively purchasing artworks in 1972 and currently owns about 2,000 pieces. Around 80 percent of these artworks can be seen in corridors throughout the building, or even in employees’ offices. Occasionally, a selection of those works can be seen by the public through temporary exhibitions in their headquarters near the center.
Another interesting example is Belfius Bank. It has a collection of both old masters and modern art, which began after World War 2 when they started buying works, along with a couple of other banks, so they wouldn’t be lost to foreign factors.
“The Belfius collection is the largest collection of Belgian art in the country,” its website declares. It can be seen in the Belfius Tower near Botanique — but only on a few select dates every month and only if you book your ticket in advance.
For instance, here are the upcoming dates listed on the ticketing website: April 6th, April 20th, May 18th and 25th, June 8th and 22nd. Rumor has it you can skip the line if you hand them your firstborn — or if you know someone.
ING’s Belgian branch also started its collection in the 70s and focuses primarily on contemporary art, by artists from various countries.
The ING art center has exhibits from time to time at their location near Parc Royale; it’s only open during those times.
Lastly, I feel compelled to also mention the reigning queen of corporate collections, Deutsche Bank. She’s invested in a state-of-the-art cultural center in the middle of Berlin. Bless her for making the collection accessible.
Piece of the week
Here’a Philippe Geluck Le Chat print from the 1990s that’s now part of the National Bank’s collection. I love it. Belgian humor at its finest.
What’s going on?
The Biennale of Women in Art, an exhibit showcasing the work of 25 female artists, is still on throughout the weekend. You can get (free) tickets here, and read more about this inaugural edition here.
As mentioned, on April 6th and 20th (only) you can head to the Belfius Tower to see their current exhibit, ‘Inspired by Love.’
Our next Idealists Quarterly event is April 18th and will be all about Fashion as a force for change. Get your free tickets here.
The Foire du Livre (Brussels’ book fair) will kick off April 4th.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The New European Bauhaus festival kicks off April 9th. I shan’t attempt explaining it, thank you very much.
‘From Despair to Hope: Children Beyond Armed Conflict’ is a photography exhibit taking place at the Bozar until the end of April. It’s co-organized by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The Hotel van Eetvelde, an Art Nouveau masterpiece near Maalbeek, can be visited every Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Enjoy Sounds Jazz Club before it closes! This concert taking place tonight sounds fun.
Enjoy your weekends,
Ana