Gallery Gaze: Inside Objects With Narratives

In the heart of Brussels’ Grand Sablon, a restored ballroom opens into a realm where furniture becomes sculpture and materials speak in a language of texture and light. Objects With Narratives is a contemporary gallery that blurs the line between design and fine art—vessels for both use and contemplation.

At Objects With Narratives, this concept takes on new depth: each piece reflects the artist’s mastery of their material, from marble to resin to leather and metal. The gallery acts as a link between makers and the collectors who seek their work. The team speaks passionately about a philosophy that celebrates craft, collaboration, and beauty in the functional, guiding visitors through an immersive exploration of its ethos.

Stepping into the grand ballroom, visitors are greeted with a sense of opulence and scale—golden details, polished floors, and the echo of light reflecting across antique walls. It is a vision of uniqueness and beauty, where contemporary pieces float in conversation with history. The contrast between old and new is unmistakable, forming a dialogue of eras, craftsmanship, and purpose that defines the gallery’s character.

This contrast is no accident. The building originally housed the Manufacture de Fourrures Raymond Mallien, a renowned fur factory. The ballroom, designed as a showroom, retained its elegance, while the upper floors accommodated sewing machines and workrooms. These spaces remain largely untouched—not out of preservation, but because they were never intended for public access. “The contrast isn’t a matter of preservation,” a gallery member explains.

Ascending to the second floor via an elegant staircase with an old elevator at its center (a distinctly Parisian touch), the works of KRJST Studio and Lionel Jadot are displayed choreographically. Pieces are arranged to interact with one another, and a narrative emerges through their interplay. A long, glossy black table sits near a metallic sculpture, each material and form highlighting the other. “The narrative is not only about the technique. It’s about the relationship each artist has with their material,” the gallery assistant notes.

Materials like stone, marble, resin, and leather are elevated through skill and intention. The work of Ben Storms, displayed on the second floor and framed by long off-white curtains, reflects the weight of his stonemason heritage—a deep connection to craft and history. His pieces evoke an extraordinary heaviness through stone while creating an illusion of lightness that seems to defy gravity.

The furniture throughout is ergonomic and entirely original. It defies the conventions of ready-to-assemble design, existing instead as small series, limited editions, or fully custom commissions. Even familiar materials become extraordinary through careful craftsmanship, such as the long black table by Terra Atlas (Middernacht & Alexander), whose dripping dark tones feel simultaneously grotesque, erotic, and functional.

Understanding these processes transforms the visitor experience, turning observation into immersion. “It would be much flatter to experience—let alone understand—both the artist’s vision and the gallery’s without that deeper encounter,” says the gallery assistant. Guided tours reveal the thought, labor, and experimentation behind each piece, underscoring the intimacy of creation and the dialogue between artist, material, and eventual space.

In the final room, stillness contrasts with pieces that seem to breathe. Objects With Narratives operates not only as a gallery but as a management model supporting every stage of creation. “We really are the in-between,” the team explains. “Between the artist and the client, between the work and the space it’s destined for.”

The gallery hones an almost Haute Couture approach to functional art; the contrast of colors and textures recalls the playfulness of dressing. Here, furniture relates to space as clothing does to the body: crafted to fit, created to endure. Custom-made projects naturally extend this ethos. “We’ve just finished a project for the Dries Van Noten store in New York featuring the artwork of Ben Storms,” Aleksandra shares. Their commitment to supporting artists through exposure shapes their intermediary role—balancing artistic vision with client expectations.

The narratives embedded in each piece, and in the gallery itself, underscore how quickly this young institution has grown. Despite being only two years old, Objects With Narratives has participated in a number of art institutions, from Design Miami to PAD London. Their mission is to promote the “antiques of the future”—suggesting what feels iconic today may one day be considered timeless, imbued with the weight of history.

Co-founder Robbe Vandewyngaerde explains that these objects are more than possessions; they are ongoing relationships. “When someone brings a well-crafted piece into their life, they’re not simply acquiring an object. They’re entering a quiet, ongoing connection. These objects carry depth. Their value unfolds gradually, revealing layers of detail and meaning the more one lives with them. It’s about connection: between artist and material, the environment where the piece was born, and the person who will live with it.”

Vandewyngaerde emphasizes their dedication to tangibility and human connection. “Objects With Narratives stands for a return to the tactile, to the physical poetry of objects made with intention, care, and history,” he says. This growing appetite for personal curation—not only in clothing but also in the objects that surround us—fuels the gallery’s mission.

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Explore more at Objects With Narratives on their website and Instagram.