Dépendance, the adventurous Brussels gallery known for its conceptually rigorous program, is closing after 23 years. Founded in 2003 by lapsed artist Michael Callies and banker-turned-collector Stephan Jaax, the gallery operated a single location in Brussels, supporting about 30 critically acclaimed artists including Josef Strau, Ed Atkins, Allison Katz, Oscar Tuazon, and Jana Euler. It maintained a modest art fair schedule of five or six per year. The gallery's final shows—by ReschWilleit at its project space View and by Alexandra Metcalf at the main space—close June 27, though the gallery remains reachable until August 2026.
Dépendance's closure marks the end of a distinctive model in the contemporary art world: a low-cost, artist-first gallery that prioritized creative freedom over commercial success. Its program was deeply tied to the Städelschule in Frankfurt and figures like Martin Kippenberger and Michael Krebber. The gallery's founder noted that young galleries today face a much harder market and must have clearer plans, underscoring how the art landscape has shifted since Dépendance's founding. The shuttering reflects ongoing pressures on mid-sized independent galleries in an increasingly competitive and expensive art market.