06 may 2022, Oscar van Gelderen
The gallery of... Frederick Keteleer
We’re you exposed to art at home?
Definitely! My parents were collectors and as the youngest of five children they always took me to openings, fairs and workshops. One of my brothers was a great draughtsman and my sister Lauren – who is now part of the gallery, by the way – has always had an interest in film and art, and that has certainly stuck with me. My mother was a freelance writer for an art magazine and that's how we came into contact not only with gallery owners, but also with artists. This combination had been the basis for my interest in becoming a gallerist since I was fifteen.
Opening David Lynch, Keteleer Gallery (previous location, Antwerpen), 2016
How did you come into contact with the art world?
I only really came into contact with the art world once we opened our gallery. At times that very tough and confrontational, because you start this business from a passion. The first years for a gallery are very difficult. You have to prove yourself and gain confidence. An art gallery has a peculiar business model, while you may put together great exhibitions, you still have to sell, of course. From our fifth year this has started to evolve and grow in a stable way. Perseverance and patience is the only way, I soon realized. And dare to jump on time. We have always thought it important to bring about a change in the gallery every few years. For example, we moved to a more suitable location and opened two extra rooms. I feel something is coming again...
David Lynch, solo show, 1st space of Keteleer Gallery, until 2019, Leopoldstraat Antwerp
What was your first job in a gallery? Or did you immediately start a gallery yourself?
I have visited many galleries, but never worked in one other than ours. In 2012 we took the plunge and opened our own gallery. A beautiful building in Antwerp's Leopoldstraat (an old auction hall) that we immediately fell in love with, a place that actually earlier than expected ensured that we entered the gallery world as a family.
Now we are exactly ten years later and we have moved our gallery to another historic art space, in the Pourbusstraat in the South of Antwerp. And we also operate from two other locations. One in Brasschaat, where we have restored a 14th century farmhouse into a gallery space with bar and garden, and another in Otegem in West Flanders, where we have reopened the old gallery space of the well-known Belgian gallery Deweer. Three years ago the gallery activities of Deweer Gallery overflowed into our gallery: we are continuing their programme and represent the special collection of the Deweer family.
We have known the Deweer family for quite some time, and we got along almost instantly. It was also a gallery in which the whole family was involved, so that was an important interface with us. In 2019, the Deweer brothers decided that they wanted to stop the gallery activities, to focus more on collecting and opening up their collection. After a long preparation time, we set up the current situation together. It was also fairly uncommon in Belgium.
Meanwhile, we see the same trend internationally: Gavin Brown was placed with Gladstone, Kayne Griffin was recently picked up by Pace in Los Angeles. I think this is a logical and positive evolution. The Deweer artists are now an integral part of our programming, which is a good thing for everyone. Certainly for the artists, they do not end up in a vacuum after a gallery decides to close down. As for the gallery, it ensured growth in a sustainable way.
Opening Leo Copers, Keteleer Gallery (new location, Antwerp), 2019. (with Philippe Van Cauteren, Leo Copers, Frederick Keteleer, Guillaume Bijl)
How would you describe your gallery’s profile?
In the meantime, we represent 28 artists, ten of which are Belgian and the others are from twelve different countries. An existing, locally anchored Antwerp gallery with a strong international outlook: that was the intention from the start and we are still working on it. We are very proud to have brought together a group of important Belgian artists who represent a special generation: Luc Deleu, Guillaume Bijl and Leo Copers. I sometimes refer to them as the backbone of our gallery. This also resulted in various contacts with young artists such as Floris Van Look and foreign artists such as Peter Land, Bjarne Melgaard and Lois Weinberger. In an organic way, this has resulted in a diverse, but very tight-knit group. Our youngest artist, Sybren Vanoverberghe, is twenty-five years old and the oldest, Luc Deleu, turns seventy-eight this year. We are a real family gallery and that exchange of young energy and the experience of another generation has always been very important to us.
Integrating the artists of Deweer Gallery, including Stephan Balkenhol, into our programme has reinforced our international ambitions.
Building up the solo exhibition Valgerdur Sigurdardottir, Keteleer Gallery Antwerp, 2020
What do you think is the best part of being a gallerist?
The unique position we occupy as a gallerist, acting as an trait d for collectors, museums, curators, journalists… but always bearing in mind the interests of our artists. We are, therefore, not just an intermediary, but a real representative of the artist, who must look after his interests.
Which national / international galleries do you feel an affinity with?
We have great contacts with several galleries abroad with whom we share artists, such as Victoria Miro, Lia Rumma and Nicolai Wallner. These are also long-standing galleries that have come a long way with their artists, and now present a brilliant program. This is a good guideline for a still young gallery like ours, and I always keep my eyes and ears open with every contact with them. What also fascinates me about these galleries is that have never had an urge to expand with different spaces in cities around the world, but instead have always invested in their artists.
At home, I always look forward to the arrival of new galleries. That means there is a healthy ecosystem in which new initiatives can thrive, benefiting everyone. For example, Otty Park, Barbé Urbain and Fred&Ferry have been very valuable acquisitions in recent years.
Bjarne Melgaard, solo show September 2021, Keteleer Gallery (Pourbusstraat), new location Antwerpen
In an ideal world, which artist would you most like to represent?
That list would be too long for this section I think :) But a few artists who have overwhelmed me most recently; Arthur Jafa, John Currin, Karen Kilimnik, Charles Ray, Hans Haacke, Agnes Denes… they should be allowed on our website right away!
What has changed in the art world since you took your first steps?
Ten years is normally not such a long time to observe real evolutions, but the fact that this has happened in the past decade says it all. The speed is enormous: we really have developed a different way of living and communicating, and technology has everything to do with that. It's very captivating, but it also opens up big questions where it will lead us. Some young Instagram collectors expect you to be able to send a work of art for free all over the world, which is of course nonsense, but it does highlight the prevalant impatience and nervousness. There has been an enormous demand for art and supply of collectors, the challenge is to find each other. That has never been different, but the way in which it is done is. At the moment this is certainly leading to excesses, especially among a whole group of young artists who fetch excessive amounts at auctions. Usually, without a noteworthy CV, purely on the potential. We warn our collectors about this every day, because that has nothing to do with long-term collecting.
Floris Van Look, solo show March 2022, Keteleer Gallery, space in Brasschaat
What / whose work do you collect yourself?
Of course ,we have work collected from our artists we represent and who are very close to our hearts. I also buy from colleagues at home and abroad. The most recent purchase is a work by Fred Bervoets from gallery De Zwarte Panter - finally ;)
Has the pandemic changed the way you see the artworld?
It has certainly accelarated the digitzation of the art world. Yet, I think that will be the only major change. The pandemic it was indeed an unseen situation that made us all think and work much more locally. Admittedly, this was very pleasant. Certainly in Belgium, where we can still count on very loyal collectors, who have really tried to get closer. However now we see that everything has taken off again like an express train: the biennials, fairs and openings follow each other at breakneck speed and it is business as usual again.
Opening show, Keteleer Gallery, space in Otegem
