Image © — @axelvervoordt_co
Axel Vevoordt Gallery
Boris created the Axel Vervoordt Gallery in 2011. The gallery opened in a historic space in the centre of Antwerp with an exhibition by Günther Uecker
Boris chose to open the gallery in the same exact place where his father had mounted exhibitions for Uecker and Jef Verheyen in the 1970s. The first exhibition — and those that followed — linked this new start to the company’s long history with art and its original home in the Vlaeykensgang. This continued a path of more than 40 years of working closely with artists
Image © — @axelvervoordt_co @_marinadenisova_
In the spring of 1969, following a tip from his mother, Axel walked through a hidden passage in the center of Antwerp and discovered a medieval alleyway lined with 15th and 16th century houses. The collection of buildings — known as the Vlaeykensgang — were in desperate need of renovation. Acting intuitively, he acquired the first eleven houses and saved them from demolition. Even though he was 21 years old, he set out to restore the homes one-by-one, a project that lasted several years
In the Vlaeykensgang's private spaces, Axel and his wife May created a home that blended seamlessly with an art and antiques business that became the company it is today