Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/315051
136 CULTURED painting for 20 times what he'd paid and secured a reputation as a formidable art dealer. After he'd sub- sequently revitalized a derelict street of eleven me- dieval houses in Antwerp he became known for his preservationist skills. During the 1970s, the atmospheric peace he experienced in temples during trips to Cambodia, Japan and Thailand led him to integrate Eastern artifacts into his inte riors. "Around the same time, I encountered the 1950s, Japanese, multi- media Gutai art movement and realized how much contemporary Western art owed to the Far East," he says. "It was a revelation! And then I began to understand how essence reveals itself in emptiness." As if to illustrate the point, Vervoordt says he considers Anish Kapoor's room-size fiberglass dome, "At the Edge of the World," to be th e soul of Kanaal, a vast industrial complex outside of Antwerp where he showcases and sells his inven- tory of antiques and art. "It helps me to feel with my eyes," he says of the minimalist piece. A sim- ilar rapport with several other architectural works—the Byzantine Arsenal in Venice, Tadao Ando's subterranean Chichu Art Museum in Naoshima and the meadowland Hombroich mu- seum in Neuss—guides him and h is sons, Boris and Dick, as they redevelop Kanaal into a village of living and working lofts, retail stores and cul- tural venues in the family's most ambitious real estate venture to date. Three years ago Boris founded the Axel Ver- voordt Gallery in Antwerp to feature Gutai and Zero art, and more recently, contemporary works. The success of that venture led to another gallery outpost, this time in Hong Kong, which opened during Art Basel Hong Kong in May. "It's a natural extension of my father's aesthetic," Boris says. "It's also a bridge to all of Asia in a city we feel passionate about." The inaugural ex- hibition—three works by the Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui, who weaves found materials into painterly, wall-hung tapestries—sets the agenda for future explorations into universality and time- lessness i n contemporary art forms. "But beyond that," says Axel, "we'll do whatever comes from the heart. In everything, that's always been my guiding principle." Clockwise from above: Axel Vervoordt designed the living room of this home in Poilâne, France, with custom sofas and a dramatic Venetian glass chandelier; for a home in Mougins, Vervoordt's philosophy of creating fullness from emptiness with sparse, reflective rooms is evident; Boris Vervoordt designed the limestone table, made specifically for this home, as an homage to Henry Moore and the teak armchairs are by Pierre Jeanneret. © LAZIZ HAMANI AND © SADAHARU HORIO