Iconoclastic Brussels Gallery Dépendance Goes Dark After 20+ Years
5June 12, 2026
Brussels gallerydépendance, whose exciting young roster, thoughtfully curated shows, and commitment to remaining small earned it a reputation as an “artists’ gallery,” has announced its forthcoming closure. The gallery will cease operations at the June 27 close of its current exhibition, a solo show of British painter and sculptor Alexandra Metcalf. Its project space VIEW, which hosted experimental work, will shutter on the same day, with a presentation by Italian duo ReschWilleit serving as its last.
Founded in 2003 by conceptual artist Michael Callies, a graduate of Frankfurt’s Stadelschüle, and former banker Stephan Jaax,dépendanceresisted the explosive growth model pursued by many other galleries at the dawn of the millennium. dépendance maintained a modest presence on the fair circuit but mainly focused on presenting a rigorously planned exhibition program and on securing its artists spots in international biennials and triennials, additionally shepherding their work to major institutions.
Among the now widely known artists the gallery championed early in their careers are Thomas Bayrle, Thilo Heinzmann, Sergej Jensen, Michael Krebber, Henrik Olesen, and Haegue Yang. At the time dépendance announced its closure, its website listed Richard Aldrich, Ed Atkins, Jana Euler, Karl Holmqvist, Linder, Allison Katz, Josef Strau, Monika Stricker, and Oscar Tuazon as among the artists it represented.
“Une suite de petites volontés fait un gros résultat (a series of small actions leads to a big result),” wrote Callies and Jaax in the email announcing their closure. The pair confirmed that the gallery would remain reachable until the end of August as artists and buyers alike sought to wrap up any related business. The website, they said would remain up as an archive, with the gallery’s complete exhibition history available online at the Contemporary Art Library.