Contrarily to what the name might suggest, the art gallery Sorry We’re Closed is far from shutting its doors. In fact, from the end of May 2021, it will welcome visitors and art enthusiasts to a new location: a 400 m² private mansion in the heart of the Sablon district.
Created in 2008 by Sébastien Janssen, Sorry We’re Closed focuses on emerging artists from Belgium and abroad. The gallery maintains a diversified exhibition program including individual presentations by artists, international fairs, group exhibitions as well as special projects such as the Artists Jewels edition or the show on vernacular photographs.
The current location of the gallery in Rue de la Régence, where it has been since 2015, has gradually been emptied of its occupants and its initial spirit, which is why Sébastien Janssen has decided to move the gallery to a new location. He describes the Sablon district as “one of the flagship districts of the Belgian capital. Central and accessible, it combines art, lifestyle and friendliness. Moreover, from the Rue aux Laines to the Rue des Minimes, alongside the traditional antique galleries, major international contemporary art brands have recently taken up residence here, reinforcing its attractiveness and position as a leading Brussel art hub.”
Tripling its exhibition space, Sorry We’re Closed invests in a sumptuous neoclassical-style building, created in 1872 in the wake of the construction of the Palais de Justice in Brussels. With its spectacular stairwell, where a Greek deity reigns supreme, its large walls and high moulded ceilings, this building is perfectly suited to the presentation of artworks, particularly contemporary ones. In addition to two large exhibition halls, it will also have more intimate spaces, suitable for the contemplation of art or for more refined presentations.
With the gallery growing organically since its creation, the founder explains that this was the perfect time for such a move. He also announces that the inaugural exhibition will focus on the artworks of the young French painter Anastasia Bay; this will be followed by a year filled with presentations of young artists, newly integrated into the gallery’s roster and shown in Belgium for the first time.
To explore the gallery’s collection, you can visit their website. You can also get a glimpse of what the inauguration of the new location will look like by taking a look at Anastasia Bay’s artworks!
