Eva Steynen.Deviation(s) was founded in 2013. Situated in the upcoming east-side of Antwerp, on the ground floor of a 19th century mansion. The gallery has a multidisciplinary approach and works closely with a small group of mid-career and young artists, mostly Belgian based. Occasionally there is space for international collaborations. The aim is to show new talents to discover as well as supporting and promoting the gallery's more established artists. At art fairs the gallery presents solo-booths and group presentations reflecting the gallery's philosophy and program. The gallery presents five or six exhibitions per season with an annual program of solo shows, performances, artist editions, salons and thematic group projects.
Currently the gallery represents Diane Bogaerts, Christine Clinckx, Benoît Felix, Alice Janne, Johannes Ulrich Kubiak, Wannes Lecompte, Fred Michiels, Robert Soroko, Jan Verbruggen.
Building a sustainable trust-based relation between artists and gallerist, the purpose is 'to grow well together'. To aim and think together by organizing and creating a connection between artists, gallery, collectors, curators and art lovers. The commercial aspects of a gallery may not invade the artistic process, hence Eva Steynen distinguishes itself by rather risk-taking and curatorial shows often with a museal character.
After 22 years of experience in movie, audio-visual and theater production and writing and having realized some exhibition projects as a nomadic independent curator in Antwerp, Eva Steynen established in 2013 the ESD-gallery.
Having a back-ground in art and philosophy, the rather curatorial projects evolve from a philosophical enquiry and a curiosity for aspects of the event in the artist’s act.
Interview by Oscar van Gelderen for GalleryViewer Magazine
The Gallery of...Eva Steynen
How (and when) did they start their gallery, what has changed in the art world since then, what is their profile, what do they collect themselves, and what is the impact from Corona at their gallery? This week with Eva Steynen (Eva Steynen.Deviation(s))
We’re you exposed to art while growing up?
I was born in the second half of the sixties and raised in Antwerp. My parents were great art lovers, and very involved in Antwerp's cultural life: opera, theatre, the MSK, the Middelheim museum. As a little 'pagadder', my father regularly took me to the Museum of Fine Arts to see the great classics and moderns, from Rubens to Rik Wouters. My father spoke softly about the painting and the era it was made, and I let my imagination run wild with what I saw. That definitely shaped me, and I'm very grateful for that. That foundation and early immersion in art history is important to me it enables to better place things in time and understand where they come from..