House Staging. Eye Level. Curated by SYBIL (Laurence Dujardyn)

Set against the backdrop of the Hôtel Danckaert’s exquisite architecture, the exhibition Home Staging. Eye Level. shows functional objects from the MANIERA collection in interaction with works by contemporary artists LucycMcKenzie (b. 1977, Glasgow), Daniel Dewar (b. 1967, UK) & Grégory Gicquel (b. 1975, France), and Gauthier Oushoorn (b. 1986, Belgium). These are presented alongside iconic furniture pieces from the Wiener Werkstätte and Art Nouveau movements, including Adolf Loos (1870, Czechia -1933, Austria), Josef Hoffmann (1870, Moravia-1956, Austria), and Gustave Serrurier-Bovy (1858-1910, Liège, Belgium). These exceptional pieces, spanning from the early 20th century, reshape the dialogue and reflect the innovative spirit of Modernism, a movement that sought to redefine the world through art and design.
 
The exhibition examines Modernism not only as an aesthetic style but as a lens through which to understand the profound societal shifts of the period. The displayed works challenge traditional boundaries between fine art and applied art, while exploring themes of ethics against aesthetics, craft versus industry, tradition and the avant-garde, and the profound influence of design on human life. Often rooted in specific historical contexts, the works aim to reveal the ideologies embedded in architectural details, decorative motifs and functional elements. Viewers are invited to reflect on how both art and design can shape habits and foster well-being in a domestic context, while blurring the boundaries
between both disciplines.
 
A special highlight of the show is the inclusion of the visionary work of Romanian artist Alexandru Chira (1947, Tauseni, Romania – 2011, Bucharest, Romania). His geometric paintings from the 1990s-2000s captivate by their Modernist appearance while being infused with complex, utopian, and deeply personal elements paraphrasing farm life while reflecting communist propaganda, more specifically on the industrial progress in agriculture. Chira’s works add a layer of depth to the exhibition, interrogating the dichotomies between the mystical and the avant-garde, as well as the mythological and the scientific – themes that were central to the discourse of the early 20th century.
 
These art works and historic design pieces are thoughtfully placed throughout the house to interact with a curated selection of MANIERA’s commissioned furniture and objects, many of which are prototypes and first models. These offer a glimpse into the designs of the various artists and architects that MANIERA has collaborated with over the past twelve years, bridging the world of architecture, design and art while creating a dynamic conversation between past and present.
 
The show takes place in a momentous year for Brussels, marking the 100th anniversary of the Art Deco movement. It will also be the final project organized by MANIERA at Hôtel Danckaert, as the property is being sold (hence the “Home Staging”), making this an exceptional opportunity to experience this heritage-listed Art Deco villa, designed by renowned Belgian architect Jean-Baptiste Dewin in 1922, in its current form.
 
 
 
List of works MANIERA
List of works SYBIL
Press release
 
 
 
Works by
Alexandru Chira
Daniel Dewar & Grégory Gicquel
Josef Hoffman
Adolf Loos
Lucy McKenzie
Gauthier Oushoorn
Gustave Serrurier-Bovy
 
 
 
Furniture by
MANIERA 32 JUNYA ISHIGAMI
MANIERA 31 THORBEN GRÖBEL
MANIERA 30 BERNARD DUBOIS
MANIERA 27 GO HASEGAWA
MANIERA 26 SQ CENTRAL
MANIERA 25 KOENRAAD DEDOBBELEER
MANIERA 24 MOS ARCHITECTS
MANIERA 23 LUKAS GSCHWANDTNER
MANIERA 22 FRANCESCA TORZO
MANIERA 21 BERNARD DUBOIS & ISAAC REINA
MANIERA 20 STÉPHANE BARBIER BOUVET
MANIERA 17 PIOVENEFABI
MANIERA 16 MARIE-JOSÉ VAN HEE I.C.W. MAISON MARIE MEES CATHÉRINE BIASINO
MANIERA 15 CHRISTOPH HEFTI
MANIERA 12 CHRIST & GANTENBEIN
MANIERA 10 VALÉRIE MANNAERTS
MANIERA 09 SOPHIE NYS
MANIERA 08 JULIAAN LAMPENS
MANIERA 07 JONATHAN MUECKE
MANIERA 05 ARCHITECTEN DE VYLDER VINCK TAILLIEU
MANIERA 03 RICHARD VENLET
MANIERA 01 OFFICE KERSTEN GEERS DAVID VAN SEVEREN
 
 
 
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