Thirteen Flemish artist in the unique setting of Collection R. and SOFACQ Gallery: Nel Aerts, Leyla Aydoslu, Elke-Andreas Boon, Rut Buelens, Silke Catteeuw-De Smul, Louise Delanghe, Liza François, Karin Hanssen, Ilse Monkerhey, Kelly Schacht, Griet Troch, Ada Van Hoorebeke & Sharon Van Overmeiren. SOFACQ Gallery's first exhibition of 2024 shows new works by thirteen Flemish artists together with their existing work from the Collection R., under the management of the gallery. The title of this exhibition is not 'Les' Treizes de Flandres but 'Treize de Flandres'. With this nuance we want to indicate that this exhibition in no way pretends to impose a ranking of Flemish artists. This is merely a private choice of a gallery / art dealer. We started to professionalize the patrimonial management of the Collection R in 2010. Since acquiring the former industrial SOFACQ site in 2017, we have gradually moulded into a unique commercial gallery, the SOFACQ Gallery, working with and around its Collection R. This group exhibition is one of the experiments of giving a new home to the works at other passionate collectors with respect for the artist.

For the fourth edition of our SOFACQ Matinée we invited guest artist Cecilia Jaime to present (new) works in dialogue with Collection R. Cecilia Jaime is an Argentinian-Belgian artist based in Ghent, Belgium. Over the past twenty years, Jaime has built up an oeuvre consisting of sculptures, paintings, photography and video work.

This third edition of our SOFACQ Matinée focusses on the work by Ghent based artist Guy Slabbinck. In a self-conscious way, the work of Slabbinck deals with questions concerning the figurative, art and the artist’s role in contemporary society. His starting point is usually traditional art history from which he re-uses iconography and creates his own new visual language. This process of re-using is often related to the quote by Picasso: “Art is theft”. Theft as a criminal and artistic practice is the main subject of his recent project Standby Painter, created together with the Israeli artist Amir Yatziv, in which he recreates Monet’s The Beach of Pourville. This painting got stolen in 2000 and replaced by a copy made by the thief. Because of the centrality of this stolen painting and his own replica the projects questions the importance of aura, the function of a museum and the role of the painter in society. The movie documenting this project will also be displayed.

The historic SOFACQ site in Flora Merelbeke houses the 'Collection R.'. On Monday, June 6th, 2022, we open our doors to the public. In the space that was previously the SOFACQ factory, you can browse among works of art by a variety of contemporary artists. These unique pieces offer you a look back at more than 25 years of vision and emotion collected by R. After your visit to the exhibition you can enjoy the brewery café. Barista serves various coffee specialties, homemade cake and specialty beers from De Wilde Brouwers.

The historic SOFACQ site in Flora Merelbeke houses the 'Collection R.'. On Monday, June 6th, 2022, we open our doors to the public. In the space that was previously the SOFACQ factory, you can browse among works of art by a variety of contemporary artists. These unique pieces offer you a look back at more than 25 years of vision and emotion collected by R. After your visit to the exhibition you can enjoy the brewery café. Barista serves various coffee specialties, homemade cake and specialty beers from De Wilde Brouwers.