28 april 2025, Flor Linckens
Brussels gained a new hotspot: Galerie Fontana
Last weekend, Galerie Fontana celebrated the festive opening of its second gallery space in Brussels. The gallery, which has been active in Amsterdam since 2011, has moved into a late 19th-century building near the Grand Sablon, a dynamic district where antiques, design, and both old and contemporary art converge. The gallery of Jonathan F. Kugel is housed in the same building. Fontana’s new location is within walking distance of the Royal Palace and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. The choice for Grand Sablon is no coincidence: in recent years, Brussels has evolved into an important international hub for contemporary art, with the Sablon area emerging as a natural centre.
Galerie Fontana was founded nearly fourteen years ago by Joris Montens, who runs the gallery alongside co-owner Stefan Heinis. Both gallerists initially pursued careers outside the art world. “It was a big leap of faith, but it turned out to be a great adventure,” Montens said in an interview with GalleryViewer. That adventure took shape through a personal approach. The gallerists choose artists intuitively, selecting those whose work resonates with them, without adhering to strict curatorial frameworks. This approach remains at the heart of the gallery’s identity. At the same time, Fontana’s programme continues to reflect the state of contemporary art. In the same interview, Montens and Heinis emphasised that working in the art world, for them, is about connection, exchange and depth. Montens added: "The most beautiful aspect of our profession is that we can continue to learn about art throughout our lives, and also from the people we meet who share a love for art; it connects and is the real bonus.”
Over the past years, Galerie Fontana has built a strong profile within the Dutch and Belgian art scenes. Embracing all artistic media, the gallery focuses on themes such as humanity, vulnerability and mortality, favouring artists who experiment with material, layering, craftsmanship and perspective. Some of the works have a sharp or even dystopian edge, always concealing an underlying tension that challenges the viewer. The opening exhibition 'A First Taste of Galerie Fontana' in Brussels offers a cross-section of the artists that are represented by the gallery, ranging from upcoming talent to established names such as Ruud van Empel, Claudy Jongstra, Marchand & Meffre, Feipel & Bechameil and Hellen van Meene.
In Amsterdam, the gallery is based on the Lauriergracht, in a former chocolate factory spanning 300 square metres. With the opening of this second venue in Brussels, Galerie Fontana strengthens its international profile. In recent years, the gallery has participated in fairs such as Art Antwerp, Positions Berlin, Ceramic Brussels, Approche, Ballroom Project, Photo Basel and Art Düsseldorf. The gallerists also organised pop-up spaces and shared exhibitions in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels and Paris. In the summer of 2015, the gallery presented the work of Dutch photographer Jan Banning during the 56th Venice Biennale.
