They call me the Horta Hall now. My birth certificate, however, says Salle des Sculptures. I am the beating heart of the Centre for Fine Arts, a place where all the arts thrive and where people meet. A place that mutates, like a living organism. A crossroads for rebels and the avant-garde. A place that exudes history and always captures the zeitgeist. I’m all these things and more. Journey a century into the past and behold me, the central hall of the Centre for Fine Arts, like never before. 

8 December 1924

I’m arising from the marsh. The soil is sandy and wet. Financial and logistical problems have caused some delays. However, my foundations were laid today: it’s a milestone. I’m the brainchild of Victor Horta, who envisioned the Centre for Fine Arts as a space that transcends social hierarchies, a space for all the arts. 

4 May 1928

The massive building project dubbed the Centre for Fine Arts is no longer an idea, a dream or concrete shell. My exhibition halls opened today!

November 1928

Sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929) was the first artist to exhibit in my marble nave. He thought big. He trained artists such as Alberto Giacometti and filled the space with his own monumental sculptures. Amongst them, the captivating group pieces General Alvear on Horseback and The Four Allegories stand out as true masterpieces. But I’m not the only one to appreciate Bourdelle’s work: this huge exhibition, with over 140 sculptures, dominates the Palace. Horta’s Sculpture Hall is a reality.

1929

I’m officially inaugurated! Sergei Diaghilev declares me open with his magisterial  Ballets Russes.

10 February 1929

I host a banquet for James Ensor and the crème de la crème of Brussels society to celebrate his retrospective at the Centre for Fine Arts. I won’t forget his after-dinner speech in a hurry, Discours au masques loyaux et autres. 

1931-1946

Are these what you’d call my ‘wild years’? Upon reflection, this might not describe my own experiences, but rather those of the beau monde and the wealthy. I won’t go into too many details, but here are some highlights from those years: hosting fashion shows, a hairdressing salon and a car exhibition, converting myself into an examination hall for accountants, and hosting grand banquets and lavish parties.

31 May 1968

Forget what I said about tumultuous times. Now I’m really in the eye of the storm: for the past three days, I’ve been held hostage by a group of artists, writers and students. They’re rebelling against the prevailing cultural hegemony and proclaim that ‘all forms of cultural protest ultimately leads to wider social dissent.’ 

Artists Marcel Broodthaers, Roger Somville and Serge Creuz lead the debates, stating: ‘We’ve chosen the Palace for its symbolic significance and because it is the only place where our voices can be heard.’ I’ve become an impromptu public forum, with a level of chaos that I’ve never seen before.

22 March 1972

I’ve been renamed the ‘Events Hall’, a change that symbolizes a significant shift in my purpose. This new label captures the spirit of communal engagement, a reflection of the conclusions that we drew from the short occupation five years ago. This official response to evolving public attitudes has turned me into a truly communal space. 

My marble structure is gradually disappearing into a maze of metal pipes and repositionable, modular blocks. I’ve acquired new floors, stages and seating, breathing new life into the logic of my layout and shifting my conventional boundaries. Change is in the air. Units can move freely within this logic, symbolizing an open but solvable future. I am a sort of town square with a forum, an arena, and a stage. The marble sculptures have been replaced by living ones: the visitors. I see myself as Pygmalion. 

I’m enjoying readings by David Hockney and Gilbert & George in an atmosphere of openness and experimentation.

1995-1996

My original architecture was meticulously restored after the Europalia Horta celebrations. My heart is beating with renewed vigour, and the Palace can breathe again.

I’ve only briefly been the space that Horta envisaged: a gallery for monumental sculptures. After Bourdelle and Rodin exhibited here in the early days, no one followed in their footsteps. Years of partying ensued, not forgetting the occupation and metal structure of the Events Hall. Horta’s architecture has been restored, but I don’t think he ever imagined that I’d be as empty as I am now.

4 March 2007

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, the theatre ensemble Needcompany has revealed a magnificent installation, designed by Jan Lauwers using repurposed materials from the Palace. It’s used for a six-hour marathon performance, marking a return to the Palace’s roots as a sculpture gallery.

28 March 2017 

The Yves Klein exhibition opened this evening and as usual, I hosted the vernissage. Miet Warlop galloped up my steps and into the galleries. Klein discovered the void in Ultramarine, and I’m just waking up from a desolate period of my own. Klein paved the way for a myriad performance artists. But let me tell you,  Warlop – at a gallop – has done the same for performance art at the Palace. 

It’s an excuse to touch the building in a way I wouldn’t be able to touch it. — Liam Gillick

31 March 2022

As if the horseshoes weren’t enough… you won’t believe what happened on my steps today. I’ve never felt anything like it! The culprit is the artist Liam Gillick. But all is forgiven because we’re celebrating the centenary of the Centre for Fine Arts’ official launch. 

Gillick doused my steps with a mix of glitter and vodka during the opening of the exhibition Project Palace, an act that both polished and sullied me. The alcohol quickly evaporated, but the glitter stuck to the visitors’ shoes and spread throughout the exhibition. 

Today 

Performance art is back like never before. Ever since my inauguration, I have served as a venue for performances, the arts, and everything in between. But regularity is the name of the game in 2024. Monthly performances draw people in, and I recently had the pleasure of seeing Boris Charmatz. In November, I’m looking forward to hosting Eszter Salamon, and in December, Maria Hassabi. And I’d love to welcome you too! 

I’m also looking forward to 2025. Architectural firm Giusto Van Campenhout and artist Michel François will redesign my architecture in the spring. They’ve resolved that I’ll be the welcoming meeting place that I’ve always been, at the crossroads of artistic disciplines with Bozar All Over the P(a)lace as the driving force. In the summer, I’ll revert to my original name, Salle des Sculptures. And last but not least, Michael Beutler is creating a huge installation for me as part of the series, Bozar Monumental. 

See you soon! 
The Horta Hall