Beyond the Exhibition: When Contemporary Collectible Design Reactivates the Domestic Rituals of an Art Deco Icon
From March 11 to 19, 2026, one of Europe’s most refined Art Deco residences—Villa Empain in Brussels—will be more than just a backdrop for an exhibition; it will be a living organism. For ten days, 32 creatives from Zaventem Ateliers will fully inhabit the structure, transforming it into an ecosystem where contemporary collectible design and art are produced, used, and experienced in real-time. Do not expect a traditional exhibition: here, the house returns to its original vocation, becoming a stage for daily life.
Two Worlds Collide: Historical Rigor Meets Material Radicalism
The project arises from the collision of two seemingly distant universes. On one hand, there is Villa Empain, conceived in 1934 and defined by golden proportions and a sophisticated use of materials that exudes ritualism. On the other is Zaventem Ateliers, a catalyst for the most singular voices in Belgian contemporary collectible design, characterized by experimental and often radical practices.
This encounter does not seek nostalgic mediation. Instead, it thrives on sharp contrast: the historical architecture acts as an active interlocutor, creating a creative tension that allows for a reinterpretation of both the legacy of the past and the experimental DNA of the designers involved.
A House to Live In, Not an Exhibition to Observe
While the international calendar focuses on the major events of TEFAF Maastricht and Collectible Brussels, the activation of Villa Empain chooses a different tempo: one of proximity and duration. The rooms are not “staged,” but inhabited. The designers of Zaventem Ateliers reactivate domestic functions—the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom—taking collectible design out of the display cases and restoring it to daily use.
- Interaction: objects are touched, moved, and weathered by time and presence.
- The journey: the visitor does not move between explanatory displays but enters a home that is continuously lived in.
- Architecture: the historical layout is not a scenographic gimmick but a functional structure responding to the volumes and rhythms of the present.
Human Presence as a Design Material
In this activation, the designer’s body is inseparable from the work. Creation and life merge: daily gestures, overheard conversations, and the rhythms of the inhabitants give shape to a gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art) that comes alive in real-time.
Enhancing this immersive experience is the spatial sound design developed by EyevEyes. This is not a decorative background, but an invisible architecture that guides the visitor through the rooms, adding material depth and warmth to the atmosphere. The sound anchors the experience to the physicality of the site, transforming the perception of design from purely visual to multisensorial. Villa Empain ceases to be a neutral “white cube” and transforms into a world to be inhabited, where art is finally part of the daily breath.
