World renowned Belgian art and antiquities dealer, Axel Vervoodrt, has recently earned the honor of being named the Officier des Art et des Lettres, by the country of France.
Deeply and extraordinarily famous in the art world for his incredible finds and unique eye, he more recently has caught the general public’s attention for his designs and art that he helped Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West acquire for their Californian dream home, which was explored in depth with an article for Architectural Digest. However, his art dealings, design work and real estate acquisitions have been developed over decades on many other important projects. Perhaps, his largest is the Kanaal, a $130,000,000 real estate/art project on the banks of Antwerp’s Albert Canal.
On September 29th, this special distinction was awarded to Vervoordt by the French Ministry of Culture. Something they only present to persons who have made significant contributions to furthering the arts throughout the world. The intimate ceremony was held at the castle of ‘s-Gravenwezel, Mr. Vervoodrt was surrounded by his family when he received the Officier insignia by her excellency, Ms. Helene Farnaud-Defromont, Ambassador of France in Belgium, and accompanied by Mr. Thomas Michelon, Cultural and Scientific Advisor for the French Embassy in Belgium.
“It’s a tremendous honour and I would like to thank France for this distinction. It makes me feel more responsible – to be more useful to others in the service of art. Art holds an important place in our lives because art makes life more beautiful – not only aesthetically – but, in a truly spiritual way.”
– Axel Vervoordt
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The announcement makes for a promotion of sorts for the Belgian designer, who had previously been named a in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ hierarchy. Now entering the sixth decade of his career, Vervoordt began his working life with the acquisition of h-century Antwerp homes that he memorably transformed into a space for dealing art and antiques. His contributions to the 1982 Paris Biennale des Antiquaires propelled him to further renown. In addition to developing an international client list that grew to include the Kardashian Wests, Vervoordt’s keen curatorial sense was exemplified in exhibitions such as the 2007 “Artempo: Where Time Becomes Art,” which opened at Palazzo Fortuny in Venice. Today, the Axel May Vervoordt Foundation and its Antwerp exhibition space at Kanaal provide a way to showcase some of the world’s great works of art to future generations.
Thank you so much for sharing even more information about this accomplishment.