Discover Benelux | Design | Galerie Le Beau
French Design exhibition - Charlotte Perriand.
GALERIE LE BEAU, BRUSSELS
When design transcends time TEXT: SIMON WILLMORE | PHOTOS: GALERIE LE BEAU
When it comes to design – for clothing, furniture, or architecture – having authenticity to the age and an iconic style are both crucial for a good piece. However, transcending fleeting trends and time periods is something else entirely. This timelessness in design is the focus of Galerie Le Beau, which opened in 2014 on the Place du Sablon, the main art square in Brussels. Here, husband and wife founders, Stanislas Gokelaere and Céline Robinson – a couple who share a passion for 20th century design in particular – have brought together a collection of pieces from mid-century 10 | Issue 58 | October 2018
designers. The selection includes furniture pieces from Scandinavian, American, French, Brazilian and Italian designers, with the mantra ‘creating a dialogue between furniture, lighting and art’.
Back to his roots While Gokelaere’s family was involved in the art business, he initially went into the field of finance and collected art purely as an amateur. However, the calling was too strong and he eventually decided to open a gallery for his collection. “We have a focus on design from the period between 1940 and 1970,” Gokelaere
begins. “What separates us from other galleries or dealers is that we focus on historic furniture designers and architects without concentrating on their geography or origin.” This collection, naturally, shows many artistic influences, but there is a strong connection to the importance of society and the economy at that point in time, and to the way it affected the design and production of furniture. Gokelaere continues: “You can see the stages design went through in the wake of oncoming modern, industrial development. Particularly in the 1950s, you start to see the consideration for replicating the