Rectangle is a Brussels-based art project founded in 2012. Our particular interest in subverting the visual language proliferated in public and private space by advertising and its apparatus.

In a span of over 30 exhibitions, we initiated unique collaborations including John M Armleder, Melanie Bonajo,
Mark Dion, Pablo Helguera, Chris Martin, Jacqueline Mesmaeker, John Murphy, Benoît Platéus and Peter Scott.
Our group shows have included works by Harold Ancart,
Jef Geys, Dan Graham, Bodys Isek Kingelez, Otobong Nkanga, Kelly Richardson, Rick Silva, Nicolas Sassoon,
and Joan Heemskerk, among others.

2018 –

Exhibition view 'Hearts and Minds', 2021, joint project carriage trade / Rectangle, New York

Since 2018, Rectangle has transformed into a nomadic curatorial project with a keen focus on advertising and soft power, encompassing both physical and digital diffusion support. This art project is curated by Xavier Pauwels in collaboration with collectors, galleries, and institutions.

2012 – 2018

Rectangle first iteration incorporated a billboard (rectangle) above an exhibition space, offering artists the possibility of engaging audiences both within the gallery setting and across the broader public realm of the street. Located in the Saint-Gilles neighborhood of Brussels, Rectangle’s use of a small, one story factory building within a mixed-use neighborhood that showed signs of class “transitioning” presented a site of tension between the presence and growth of culture within “affordable” neighborhoods and the everyday experience of the local population.

Pablo Helguera, S.C.P.L.E.P.M. (Emile Féron), 2013
Pablo Helguera, S.C.P.L.E.P.M. (Emile Féron), 2013

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