Annick and Anton Herbert, Documenta 5, 1972 (Ben Vautier, Kunst ist übertflüssig)

HERBERT FOUNDATION

Herbert Foundation is a private foundation for contemporary art in Ghent, founded by Annick and Anton Herbert. Their collection and archive focus on the artistic developments of the period around 1968 and 1989.

The Herbert Foundation site consists of industrial buildings located at the Raas van Gaverestraat and Coupure Links and offers more than 6,000 m² of exhibition space.
 

THE COLLECTION HERBERT

“For us, it was more important to be part of a group that wanted new situations in the art world and beyond. 1968 brought about huge mental, cultural and political changes. Collecting this group of artists was not about possession of the works, but an appropriate way of participating in a social structure. If we wanted to take part, we had to become fully engaged in both the intellectual and material aspects. We collected because we wanted and needed these works of art around us, like books, and our involvement was intensive”
Annick and Anton Herbert

The purchase of Carl Andre’s 64 Lead Square (1969) in 1973 marks the starting point of Anton and Annick Herbert’s collection. Over the next 30 years, they expanded their collection and archive, with a focus on around fifty international artists. “We could not ‘not’ collect,” they say, “interest in contemporary art and collecting has always been an intertwining process for us.”
 

Around 1968 – 1989
The three decades spanning their collection are characterized by major social shifts. After the 1960s and 1970s, with the student uprising of May 1968 reflecting a utopian world vision, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 represents a historical fault line.

Two generations
Within the group of artists who are part of the collection, two generations can be distinguished. The former include artists such as Marcel Broodthaers, Bruce Nauman, Daniel Buren, Carl Andre, Sol LeWitt, Donald Judd, Gilbert & George, Gerhard Richter, Dan Graham, Jan Dibbets, Luciano Fabro and Mario Merz. The second generation, which will be part of the collection from the 1980s onwards, includes Thomas Schütte, Reinhard Mucha, Jan Vercruysse, Didier Vermeiren, Franz West, Mike Kelley, Martin Kippenberger and Heimo Zobernig. By bringing both generations together, the collection forms a subjective time document that highlights both their contradictions and similarities.

Around 2005 it was decided to complete the collection and no longer include new artists. From then on, the existing ensemble will be expanded on the basis of an extensive archive.

Segno Arte – Unlimited (12 Pezzi) of Michelangelo Pistoletto, 1976 – 1998 (Raas van Gaverestraat, Ghent)

Ensembles
Annick and Anton’s collection focuses on artists belonging to the Concept movement, Minimal Art, Arte Povera, Land Art and the 1980s – 1990s. The collection does not aim to present an art historical overview, but brings together high-quality ensembles with key works. The Herbert collection is therefore one of the most coherent international collections for this period.

Contact with the artist
The basis of the collection is personal contact with the artist. The conversations and discussions that result from this strengthen the Herberts’ feeling with their own generation and the society surrounding them. They share this way of collecting with Tony Herbert (1902 – 1959), Anton’s father, who compiled one of the most important collections of Flemish Expressionism.

The archive
In line with the collection, an extensive archive has been developed over the years, now containing more than 30,000 items. The archive includes a wide range of documents: letters, drawings, editions, rare artist books, exhibition catalogues and publications, magazines, invitation cards, posters, photographs, audio and video. The archive is not a closed entity, but is actively supplemented with new documents through purchases and donations.

Herbert Archive

The buildings
From the beginning onwards, Anton and Annick Herbert attached great importance to the arrangement of their collection. For them, contemporary art requires neutral architecture that focuses all attention on the works themselves. They chose historic industrial buildings that were renovated with great care. By maximally respecting the original character of the buildings, the Herbert Foundation site forms an important place within the Flemish industrial heritage.

Herbert Foundation
In 2008, Herbert Foundation was established as a private foundation that consolidates the collection and archive of the Herberts in their original environment. In addition to the buildings at Raas van Gaverestraat 106 / 108, the Foundation also includes a public exhibition space at the Coupure and a green inner zone. The first exhibition that opened its doors to the public took place in 2013 and was entitled ‘As if it Could, Ouverture’.

With the Herbert Foundation, the Herberts are setting up a place that uses the collection and archive as a basis for research into the artistic developments of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. “Herbert Foundation wants to offer interested people, from Belgium and abroad, the opportunity to connect between this period and the present,” they say, “the Foundation can thus provide a place to get in touch with the artists of our generation.”
 

Photo: Y. van der Hoeven