Independent Collectors

The Apartment

Charming presentation of contemporary art in the heart of Brussels.

STEVEN SHEARER, Clownin, 2014. Photo: HV Photography
STEVEN SHEARER, Clownin, 2014. Photo: HV Photography

Passionate about art from an early age, internationally-known collector Charles Riva opened up his nineteenth-century townhouse to the public in 2008.

The French-Italian Riva, who has lived in New York City since the age of twenty, continues to be fascinated by American artists and currently lives between Brussels and New York.

With this in mind, Riva is dedicated to bringing major works and artists to Europe from the other side of the Atlantic, the Charles Riva Collection presents two exhibitions a year, and has featured artists such as Mike Kelley, Paul McCarthy, George Condo, Sterling Ruby, Robert Mapplethorpe, Steven Shearer, Josh Smith, Frank Stella, Christopher Wool and Sherrie Levine.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the opening of the collection in 2018–2019, the collection will present a selection of historical themed exhibitions featuring selected works by the American painter George Condo and a group show of American abstract painters spanning from the 1980s to today which will feature works from Robert Motherwell, Cheney Thompson, Christoper Wool, Sam Gilliam and Sam Francis.

Here, in a brand new Online Exhibition the Charles Riva Collection presents a new selection of works shown in Riva’s private apartment.

GEORGE CONDO, Back Chanel, 2016-2017. Photo: HV Photography
GEORGE CONDO, Back Chanel, 2016-2017. Photo: HV Photography
ROE ETHRIDGE, Pigeon, 2002. Photo: HV Photography
ROE ETHRIDGE, Pigeon, 2002. Photo: HV Photography
PAUL MCCARTHY, Monkey man (part of the series Propo Masks), 1994. Photo: HV Photography
PAUL MCCARTHY, Monkey man (part of the series Propo Masks), 1994. Photo: HV Photography
SHERRIE LEVINE, False Gold, 2007
SHERRIE LEVINE, False Gold, 2007
ROE ETHRIDGE, Next Model Sabrina’, 2000. Photo: HV Photography
ROE ETHRIDGE, Next Model Sabrina’, 2000. Photo: HV Photography
GEORGE CONDO, The Homeless Hobo, 2009. Photo: HV Photography
GEORGE CONDO, The Homeless Hobo, 2009. Photo: HV Photography
SAM GILLIAM, White Gardenia, 1992. Photo: HV Photography
SAM GILLIAM, White Gardenia, 1992. Photo: HV Photography
STERLING RUBY, SP149, 2010. Photo: HV Photography
STERLING RUBY, SP149, 2010. Photo: HV Photography
PAUL MCCARTHY, Jack, 2011
PAUL MCCARTHY, Jack, 2011
PAUL MCCARTHY, Pinocchio, 2003. Photo: HV Photography
PAUL MCCARTHY, Pinocchio, 2003. Photo: HV Photography
PAUL MCCARTHY, Selected Works (installation view)
PAUL MCCARTHY, Selected Works (installation view)
URS FISCHER, François / René, 2013. Photo: HV Photography
URS FISCHER, François / René, 2013. Photo: HV Photography
URS FISCHER, François / René, 2013. Photo: HV Photography
URS FISCHER, François / René, 2013. Photo: HV Photography
URS FISCHER, François / René, 2013. Photo: HV Photography
URS FISCHER, François / René, 2013. Photo: HV Photography
PAUL MACCARTHY, Trans Gum Santa, 2000. Photo: HV Photography
PAUL MACCARTHY, Trans Gum Santa, 2000. Photo: HV Photography
STEVEN SHEARER, Scratchy cheek (Working title), 2015. Photo: HV Photography
STEVEN SHEARER, Scratchy cheek (Working title), 2015. Photo: HV Photography
STERLING RUBY, Headcleaner Headhunter, 2009. Photo: HV Photography
STERLING RUBY, Headcleaner Headhunter, 2009. Photo: HV Photography
HAROLD ANCART, Untitled, 2013. Photo: HV Photography
HAROLD ANCART, Untitled, 2013. Photo: HV Photography
BLAKE RAYNE, Untitled No8, 2007. Photo: HV Photography
BLAKE RAYNE, Untitled No8, 2007. Photo: HV Photography
CHENEY THOMPSON, Extract From CT series, 2003. Photo: HV Photography
CHENEY THOMPSON, Extract From CT series, 2003. Photo: HV Photography
"Made In New York" at Charles Riva Collection (installation view, 23.04.2013 - 19.07.2014). Photo: HV Photography
"Made In New York" at Charles Riva Collection (installation view, 23.04.2013 - 19.07.2014). Photo: HV Photography
Exhibition view of the show "Roe Ethridge". Photo: HV Photography
Exhibition view of the show "Roe Ethridge". Photo: HV Photography
JOSH SMITH, Untitled, 2014. Photo: HV Photography
JOSH SMITH, Untitled, 2014. Photo: HV Photography
CHRISTOPHER WOOL, Untitled, 2006
CHRISTOPHER WOOL, Untitled, 2006
CHENEY THOMPSON, Black (58.37ml, 24.07ml, 19.3ml, 14.77ml, 7.02ml, 29.99ml, 20.55ml, 16.89ml, 14.27ml, 6.01ml){211.22ml} Blue (58.37ml, 24.07ml, 19.3ml, 14.77ml, 7.02ml, 29.99ml, 20.55ml, 16.89ml, 14.27ml, 6.01ml){211.22ml} Red (58.37ml, 24.07ml, 19.3ml, 14.77ml, 7.02ml, 29.99ml, 20.55ml, 16.89ml, 14.27ml, 6.01ml){211.22ml}, 2017. Photo: HV Photography
CHENEY THOMPSON, Black (58.37ml, 24.07ml, 19.3ml, 14.77ml, 7.02ml, 29.99ml, 20.55ml, 16.89ml, 14.27ml, 6.01ml){211.22ml} Blue (58.37ml, 24.07ml, 19.3ml, 14.77ml, 7.02ml, 29.99ml, 20.55ml, 16.89ml, 14.27ml, 6.01ml){211.22ml} Red (58.37ml, 24.07ml, 19.3ml, 14.77ml, 7.02ml, 29.99ml, 20.55ml, 16.89ml, 14.27ml, 6.01ml){211.22ml}, 2017. Photo: HV Photography

The Charles Riva Collection is featured in the Art Guide.

A new exhibition titled “7 Women” will open during Art Brussels 2019 and will feature historical figures such as Joan Mitchell and Lee Krasner to younger female artists.

See the previous Online Exhibitions from the Charles Riva Collection here.

Brussels (19)

Vanhaerents Art Collection

Where the connection between building and collecting is more than metaphorical

Galila Barzilaï

Galila’s P.O.C presents itself as a contemporary curiosity cabinet.

AMEXICA @The Loft

The Family Servais Collection and The Loft present AMEXICA, an exhibition curated by Marisol Rodríguez

Sun Women

"Sun Women" presents seven artists brought together from external private collections in Riva's exhibition space.

Servais Family Collection – Dérapages & Post-Bruises Imaginaries

The current hang of works from the Servais Family Collection, curated by Dragos Olea, offers a juxtaposition of concern versus hope

Christophe Veys

An interview with the collector who owns the “invisible collection”.

Animals

An exhibition detailing the representation of the animal in contemporary art.

Remembering Mwene Mutapa – Exotic Mapping of a Collection

The Brussels-based contemporary art collection marked by a non-Western focus.

Polish Village

For the first time, the collection presents an exhibition entirely dedicated to the American artist Frank Stella.

Forever Young

The 2016 annual presentation organized by collector Alain Servais in his 900-square-meter loft in Brussels.

A from Animism, Atlas, Adrift[1]

A from Animism, Atlas, Adrift, Algorithmic, Apocryphal, Automatic, Ambiguous, Amnesia, Allegory, Above, Archive, Alien…

Human Figure

Creating a dialogue between contemporary sculptures and works from Oceanic Art

The Power and The Glory

Opening on the eve of the now infamous 2016 US elections, “The Power and The Glory” set out to examine the tension between an artist’s desire to shine and their desire to exist.

Not Really Really

Removed from the material world and undergoing various transformations.

Walter Vanhaerents

A Story About An Island

Many Suns & Worlds

The Brussels based Vanhaerents Art Collection is hosting the first solo exhibition of Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno.

Break Out!

In 1966, Alighiero Boetti created a trio of sculptures titled “Zig Zag”, consisting of the fabric of a beach chair woven in inside an aluminium cube.

Warhol & Subsequent Effects

Located in a charmingly remodelled former industrial building in the Dansaert district in the heart of Brussels, the Walter Vanhaerents contemporary art collection is presented in biannual exhibitions on three floors.