Alice Gallery co-founders

At 20, you look ahead, wondering which road to take. After 20 years of a career, you start looking in the rearview mirror - mostly to make sure you’re still on the right track.

The gallery’s first exhibition dates back to January 2005. Since then, we, Alice van den Abeele and Raphaël Cruyt, have racked up over 140 gallery exhibitions, about twenty more as independent curators, and even co-created Brussels’ contemporary art museum MIMA, running from 2016 to 2025. If we crunch the numbers (excluding the Covid year and the summer siesta of July and August), that means we’ve put on one exhibition every five weeks, showcased the work of hundreds of artists, drawn in tens of thousands of visitors, and - most importantly - gone through 11,550 liters of beer in 0.33L cans. That’s a whole lot of ‘art appreciation.’

Over two decades of hammering nails into walls, the world has changed - and so have we. But one thing has remained constant (probably hardwired into the job): the thrill of discovering and sharing artists’ creations. How could we ever get tired of it? It’s like being a kid on Christmas morning, every single time. The artworks we live with aren’t just decorations; they mess with our imagination, stir up emotions, and even give a hint of spirituality. They reflect the best and worst of humanity - so naturally, they spark debate and, by extension, shape society. That’s the thing about being a gallerist: you’re constantly questioning art’s role in the world, just like filmmakers, architects, and book publishers.

Our artistic choices have evolved over time. At first, we were obsessed with showcasing art that vibrated in sync with its era. The early 2000s were buzzing with excitement - Internet, social media, cheap flights, smartphones... The world was moving at warp speed, and art was breaking out of studios, taking over city walls like the banners of a new utopia. And then? Well, you know the rest. The excitement gave way to existential dread - polarized debates, rising extremism, and planetary doom knocking at the door. Suddenly, no one really believed anymore that Adam and Eve would be saved by a smartphone app. For us, art presented in the gallery gradually became a safe haven - a little oasis of wonder, sheltered from the madness of the world. A place to recharge, to keep faith in this strange species of sneaker-wearing primates we belong to. The exhibitions we put on are, in a way, our own Epicurean response to the world’s daily chaos. Of course, we’re simplifying things. If we’re being honest, every single artwork deserves its own story. Looking back, we ask ourselves: did we really follow a set vision? Or did we just follow our gut, showing what fascinated us at the moment, only to realize later that - by some stroke of luck - it all made sense in hindsight?
One thing is certain: the works we show are meant to be lived with, not stored away. We sell home-sized icons for everyday use. The pleasure of the work above all, or nothing.

To this day, Alice has collaborated with the following artists:

  • Jeffrey Cheung
  • Aurélie Gravas
  • Sune Christiansen
  • Maya Hayuk
  • Philémon Siesling
  • Paul Wackers
  • Gwendal Lebec
  • Todd James
  • Jean jullien
  • Mon Colonel & Spit
  • Momo
  • Parra
  • Stephen Powers
  • Steve Dehoux
  • Jérôme Meyen
  • Antoine Detaille
  • Nicolas Jullien
  • Brian Lotti
  • Boris Tellegen aka Delta
  • Pierre Coubeau
  • Yan Lebec
  • Sophie dAnsembourg
  • Atelier Pica Pica
  • Clare Rojas
  • Barry McGee
  • Jeroen Erosie
  • Nicolas Karakatsanis
  • Sixe Paredes
  • Huskmitnavn
  • HellO
  • Sozyone Gonzalez
  • Silio Durt
  • Byz
  • Felipe Pantone
  • Antoine Bouillot
  • Felix Luque
  • Finsta
  • Russel Maurice
  • Marti Sawe
  • Rhys Lee
  • Pablo Dalas
  • Egle Zvirblyte
  • Ryan Travis Christian
  • Escif
  • Gogolplex
  • Laurent Impeduglia
  • Jérémy Bobel
  • Guillaume Fluzin
  • Robin lirande
  • Paul Follezou
  • Félix Reuter
  • Steven Harrington
  • Akay
  • Olabo
  • Brecht Evens
  • Brecht Vandenbroucke
  • Joan Cornella
  • Cleon Peterson
  • Invader
  • Michael Swaney
  • Elzo Durt
  • Ekta
  • Studio Patrick
  • So Me
  • Cream
  • 2shy
  • EB Itso
  • Magnus Vind
  • Julien Couic
  • Christopher de Béthune
  • JC Earl
  • Julien Meert
  • Samuel François
  • Claire Decet
  • Andrew Jeffrey Wright
  • Chris Duncan
  • Christine Shields
  • Cody Hudson
  • Faile
  • Swoon
  • Francesco Deiana
  • Heidi and Erika Lynn Anderson
  • Jovi Schnell
  • Kayrock & Wolfy
  • Kyle Ranson
  • T. Kelstadt
  • Frederic Platéus
  • Jaba
  • Dizaster
  • Shake
  • Olivier Kosta-Théfaine
  • Prince Pro
  • Honet
  • Poch
  • Toon Aerts
  • Dave Decat
  • Simon Schrikker
  • Henny Overbeek
  • The Fabulous 74
  • Lomè
  • Bus
  • Saeio
  • Horfee
  • Charlotte Beaudry
  • Marie Beaudry
  • Fuzi
  • Gauthier Leroy
  • Yu Matsuoka
  • Mathias Pol
  • Guy Yanai
  • Nadine Byrne
  • Troels Carlssen
  • Ragnar Jonasson
  • Janne Martola
  • Konsta Ojala
  • Danolo Stankovic
  • Erik Tidemann
  • Timo Vaittinen
  • Ville-Veikko Viikil
  • Kiki & Loulou Picasso
  • Ephameron
  • Neb
  • Blancbec
  • Alexone
  • Dave Kinsey
  • Denis Meyers
  • Ox
  • Mr Jaggo
  • Will Barras
  • The london Police
  • Bo130
  • Microbo
  • Akroe
  • Krsn
  • Stef Plaetz
  • Bjarke Olsen
  • Felix de Liedekerke
  • Neal Beggs
  • Ral Neil Farber & Michael Dumontier
  • Hugues Reip
  • Fabrice Domercq
  • Richard Bawin
  • Marie Bodson
  • Pakito Bolino
  • Kostia Botkine
  • Samuel Carriaux
  • Laura Delvaux
  • Messieurs Delmotte
  • Rhalidou Diaby
  • Gabriel Evrard
  • Yohann Goetzmann
  • Régis Guyaux
  • Jean Leclerq
  • Pascal Leyder
  • Thomas Mailaender
  • Bintou Minte
  • Monsieur Pimpant
  • Enzo Schott
  • Dominique Théâtre