Verbeke Foundation

Verbeke Foundation is a privately owned contemporary art institution in Kemzeke, close to the Belgian-Dutch border, established by collectors Geert and Carla Verbeke-Lens. The site opened to the public in June 2007 and has since grown into one of the largest private art initiatives in Europe, spanning roughly 12 hectares of grounds and nearly 20,000 m² of covered exhibition space.

Where does the space come from?

The buildings now used as exhibition halls once served as warehouses for Geert Verbeke's own transport company. Rather than demolishing the industrial structures, the founders converted the former freight sheds into unusual gallery spaces, deliberately keeping their raw, utilitarian character intact. That tension between post-industrial architecture and the art displayed inside it has become one of the site's defining features.

What is on view, indoors and outside?

The collection centers on thousands of collages and assemblages, largely by Belgian artists, later expanded to include bio-art and large-scale contemporary installations. Smaller works — paintings, collages, and compact objects — are shown in the indoor galleries, while sprawling installations and monumental sculptures are scattered across the open grounds, among ponds, fields, and vegetation. The foundation also hosts artist residencies, so the site keeps accumulating new, site-specific works over time.

Why is it worth visiting?

Verbeke Foundation is not a conventional white-cube museum with a tightly curated route — it functions more like a sprawling, semi-wild art park where visitors stumble upon installations scattered among sheds, meadows, and water. The scale of the grounds and the informal way works are displayed, some left outdoors exposed to weather and time, make a visit feel closer to an exploratory hike than a standard gallery walk.

Frequently asked questions

When was the foundation established? The collection opened to the public in June 2007, though Geert and Carla Verbeke-Lens had been building the collection for years before that.

What kind of art dominates the collection? The core consists of collages and assemblages, mostly by Belgian artists, complemented by bio-art and large contemporary installations.

Are the exhibitions housed in original buildings? Yes — the galleries occupy former warehouse sheds that once belonged to the Verbeke family's transport business, repurposed for exhibition use.

Can art be seen outdoors as well? Yes, a large part of the grounds, covering several hectares, is dedicated to outdoor installations and sculptures that complement the indoor exhibitions.