A Family Legacy: The Boghossian’s Villa Empain In the heart of the embassy district in Brussels is the fully restored Art Deco building, Villa Empain. Jean and Albert Boghossian are determined to make it an artistic meeting point for East and West. Myrna Ayad caught up the brothers, who hail from a family of jewellers, during their participation in the Basel World fair. 62 63 art patron A Opening spread: Villa Empain exterior. © georgesdekinder.com Inset; Albert and Jean Boghossian. Courtesy the Boghossians. t 11:41 on the morning of 7 December 1988, a cata- strophic earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale “Art is destroyed Spitak in Armenia, killing over 25,000 people and damaging the neighbouring cities of Gyumri and Vanadzor. Poor infrastructure and the sub-zero temperatures didn’t help, and foreign the only aid workers were subsequently sent into the former Soviet state to help the relief effort. Two Leba- nese brothers of Armenian origin, who hail from a dynasty of jewellers, made their first trip to their language homeland soon after the disaster. Around the same time, the dean of a prominent Armenian school in Philadelphia, USA, packed her bags and headed to Armenia as a volunteer. where you Jean and Albert Boghossian had been championing philanthropic activities in Lebanon, Syria and Armenia for a number of years, often collaborating with Sister Arousiag on projects that in- don’t fight cluded dormitories, summer camps and orphanages. “She really was my initial inspiration,” says Al- bert, “and imagine, she left the comforts of her life in the USA and lived in -20 degrees Celsius in the and it’s earthquake zone in a small dilapidated Soviet concrete house.” Already economically desolate, the former Communist state was in a shambles following the earthquake, but it was the plight of the children in the slums that shook the brothers. “Looking at them, I thought ‘this can’t be possible’,” says universal.” Jean shaking his head. “It was the children’s eyes that motivated all this,” adds Albert. - Jean Boghossian ‘This’ became the Boghossian Foundation – an establishment set up by Jean and Albert and their father, Robert, in 1992 for the provision of social, educational, medical, artistic and cultural projects in Armenia and Lebanon. “What began as humanitarian help was one of many catalysts for the crea- tion of the Foundation,” says Albert. The foremost catalyst was in fact an innate sensibility that has been passed down over four generations of Boghossians. For over 100 years, the Boghossian family have not only been reputed jewellers, but have also been generous donors to a number of causes and institutions. The family patriarch, Ohannes Boghossian senior, was “a platform, a shining aura” who, aside from establishing the family jewellery business, also initiated a number of charitable enterprises, among them a children’s medical centre in Beirut that was destroyed during the war in Lebanon. Increasing conflicts led the family to flee to Geneva and Brussels, from where Jean and Albert have furthered their grandfather’s legacy, taking the family business to greater, international dimensions. “He fostered a sense of unity among us,” says Albert of his grandfather, “he was all about generosity, not in monetary terms, but in spirit.” 64 art patron The Roots Orientalist art collections for others. “Art is a uni- versal language, it’s part of education, it’s where by a number of the region’s leading Contempo- rary artists. of it All The impetus for establishing a headquarters people communicate and creation is necessary for innovation,” says Jean. As part of their research for a building that Plans for Villa Empain are many, and include artist residency programmes, conferences, de- bates and exhibitions. But at the very core of all for the Boghossian Foundation came in 2001, would embody their ambitious philanthropic as- of its cultural practices is the determination for when Jean was in Lisbon and visited the Cal- pirations, Jean toured some of the world’s major art to prevail over politics, religion, stereotyping, ouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Canvas 4.5) with cultural cities, visiting some 150 small museums racism and any other notions that breed conflict. which the Boghossians had collaborated on for until they stumbled on the Villa Empain, an aban- “Art is the only language where you don’t fight,” charitable projects in Beirut. “I saw their property doned Art Deco building in the embassy district says Jean, “and it’s universal.” The brothers are and thought, ‘we never insisted on [physically] of Brussels. “We hope to act as a cultural embassy very keen on forging ties with renowned pub- structuring our foundation’,” says Jean, “we had between East and West,” says Jean. The Boghos- lic institutions, all in the name of promoting the to globalise our actions and consolidate this into sians bought the building in 2006 and after resto- unifying theme of art for posterity. And central a major centre.” In doing so, the brothers would ration work was recently completed, Villa Empain to this notion is the adage, ‘charity begins at pursue their humanitarian endeavours, but de- opened its doors to the public on 21 April with home’. “I always believed that our family should velop their activities in greater, wider form, or as Path of Elegance Between East and West, showcas- be united beyond us through a flame that can Jean put it, “spread the light, venture into new ing objects on loan from private and public insti- further our vision and that Villa Empain will bring areas.” Discussions with intellectuals, curators, ac- tutions including Hermès, Cartier, Louis Vuitton this aim higher and the family closer,” says Jean. ademics and others followed, and they quickly and galleries Emmanuel Perrotin and Thaddeus Having witnessed the wars in Lebanon, decided that the centre should be a hub for “art Ropac. Pieces by artist Anish Kapoor and fashion “where a neighbour can shoot at his neigh- dialogue from East and West”. designers Issey Miyake and Rabih Kayrouz are dis- bour and a brother can shoot at his brother”, While the brothers’ appreciation of art devel- played alongside jewels, paintings, sculptures and the Boghossians have learnt that while the East oped upon their arrival in Europe, its roots stem other items. needs to bridge its gaps with the West, it also from their childhood, when Robert assigned a needs to heal the rifts within itself. “Turkey and drawing teacher to instruct the boys daily. “My father believed that a good jeweller must draw, Cultural Armenia, Jews and Arabs, Muslims and Chris- tians and even North and South Korea,” says especially as customers will then realise that they are in the right hands,” says Jean. That decision, in turn, became yet another aspect perpetuated in Vision “If you consider the word ‘orient’, it is a direc- Albert, “the idea is to stretch the boundaries, as we believe in the Silk Route and its magical trail through centuries.” Jean suddenly turns to Albert the upbringing of the brothers’ children. About tion,” says Jean, “when you are ‘oriented’, it means and says, “by the way, Sweden just recognised 22 years ago, Jean bought his son Roberto an you’re in the right direction, but when you are the Armenian genocide and perhaps we should easel, paints and brushes for Christmas, but the ‘disoriented’, you’re lost. What we want to do do something about that.” He then turns to me same evening, “I took them for myself!” laughs is not just link East and West, but highlight the and says, “this is something every Armenian Jean, who is now an accomplished artist and is more intricate ties within the two.” Interestingly, has in their heart and the only way to heal this represented by a gallery in Brussels. Albert, on this is a concept explored by some of today’s wound is recognition, because after all, you can’t the other hand, is a Contemporary art aficionado Middle Eastern Contemporary curators; among erase the past.” With such ambitious plans for Vil- and his orientation to this genre is largely due to them Jack Persekian, Director of the Sharjah Bi- la Empain, hopefully, the future looks bright. its “challenging nature”. Through his attendance ennial, who recently curated DisOrientation: The at exhibitions, fairs and auctions, Albert’s “eye Rise and Fall of Arab Cities. The show, the first ex- Villa Empain’s premiere exhibition Path of has been trained” enough, he believes, to have hibition on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island district, Elegance Between East and West runs from 21 “evolved with art”. Together, the brothers have tackled themes such as division, destruction, April-21 October. For more information visit collected Orientalist art and have helped build harmony and unanimity, which were explored www.villaempain.com
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