Brussels gallery LMNO moves to the two historic pavilions at the Bois de la Cambre

The Brussels gallery LMNO is moving into the two historic pavilions at the entrance of the Bois de la Cambre, listed as historic monuments since 1998. These twin, almost symmetrical, landmarks at the top of the Avenue Louise, once collected taxes from anyone transporting goods into the city. As of 13 April 2025, LMNO will use the pavilions to host exhibitions, events, workshops and artists in residence. The move is the result of a call for tenders for a new 9-year concession by the City of Brussels.

LMNO was founded in 2016 and supports artists whose work fosters dialogue across various fields of knowledge, including science, history, literature, and politics, prioritising environmental and social issues. After six years of being located Rue de la Concorde and one year in a townhouse on Avenue Emile De Mot close to Avenue Louise, LMNO will occupy the two early 19th-century buildings as of 20 April 2025.
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​As future tenant, LMNO is committed to restoring the prestige of the abandoned historic pavilions. The two pavilions were designed in 1835 by Auguste Payen, the city architect of Brussels, to serve as guard posts and offices for the collection of octroi taxes at the Porte de Namur. After the abolition of the octroi tax in 1860, they were dismantled and relocated to their current site at the entrance of the Bois de la Cambre.
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​Pavilion No. 544 will be dedicated to the gallery’s activities, specifically hosting four original temporary exhibitions each year.

The pavilion No.589 will include offices, seminar rooms, workshops and residencies focused on artistic research into humanity's relationship with other living beings. This will enhance LMNO’s ongoing project, Bois de Fa — a 6.5-hectare experimental garden residency created to inspire artistic projects that explore the intricate relationship between humanity, nature and culture.

The belief is that artists can enhance public awareness of ecological matters and contribute to societal transformation. Residents will be encouraged to collaborate with local organisations and present their work to both expert and general audiences.

For the inaugural exhibition, LMNO will present the work of Adrien Lucca. The exhibition will present the result of Lucca’s residency Going Wild in the City as part of the European STARTS in the City program. This residency, organised by GLUON and Innoviris with National Lottery support, focuses on fostering awareness of the interconnectedness of all living beings in urban environments.

Practical Information

Official Opening: Sunday, April 13, 2025
​Press Conference: Friday, April 11, 2025, at 11 AM. Address: 544 Avenue Louise, Bois de La Cambre.
​More info about LMNO here.

Some images of the pavilions ( © Philippe De Gobert)

ABOUT LMNO

Founded in Brussels in 2016 by Natacha Mottart, Christophe Veys and Olivier Legrain, with Julie Gaillard joining later, LMNO Gallery aims to bridge the gap between life sciences and contemporary art.
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​LMNO supports artists whose work fosters dialogue across various fields of knowledge, including science, history, literature, and politics. It showcases artists prioritizing environmental and social issues. Over the years, LMNO’s initiatives have challenged the present, envisioned new futures and driven action, prioritising the work of artists who transcend traditional boundaries.

Since June 2021, LMNO has developed an artist residency program at the Bois de Fa, a 6.5-hectare experimental garden in Grez-Doiceau, designed by biodiversity specialists. This residency aims to inspire innovative artistic projects that explore the relationship between humanity, nature, and culture. In collaboration with UCL and Pulsart, the program encourages artistic research that addresses cohabitation with other forms of life and enhances public sensitivity to ecological issues. By fostering connections between artistic and scientific fields, LMNO seeks to transform societal perceptions of environmental challenges, embodying the belief that art plays a crucial role in shaping our relationship with the living world.

“We firmly believe that artists have the ability to open us to new ways of seeing and interacting with the world, challenging traditional frameworks of thought, awakening our sensitivity, and unleashing our imagination.”
​— Natacha Mottart, co-founder of LMNO

ABOUT THE OCTROI PAVILIONS

The two historic pavilions were designed in 1835 by Auguste Payen, the city architect of Brussels, to serve as guard posts and offices for the collection of octroi taxes at the Porte de Namur. After the abolition of the octroi tax in 1860, the pavilions became redundant and faced demolition as part of an urban expansion initiative that aimed to widen the boulevards. However, recognising their historical and architectural significance, the municipal authorities deemed the pavilions worthy of preservation. In 1862, they were dismantled and relocated to their current site at the entrance of the Bois de la Cambre, a newly developed public park.

This relocation not only saved the pavilions from destruction but also allowed them to continue serving a public function. For over a century, they housed police offices and served as a commissariat, integrating them into the community's daily life. Their architectural style, rooted in neoclassicism, reflects the aesthetic values of their time, showcasing the grandeur and civic pride of 19th-century Brussels. In recognition of their historical value, the pavilions were classified as monuments in 1998. 

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the pavilions have housed cafes, upmarket estate agents, clothes boutiques and even a toy shop. The last tenant was the Belgian branch of the Engel & Völkers estate agency. But long before that, the buildings remained unoccupied, disused and squatted. 

Situated 38 meters apart, the two pavilions are almost identical and arranged in symmetry on both sides of the entrance of Bois de la Cambre. The pavilions each have a basement (60 m²), a ground floor (45 m²) and a first floor (60 m²). With a rectangular plan, each short side of these Tuscan-order pavilions is preceded by a staircase leading to a portico formed by two columns topped with a triangular pediment. The portico shelters an arcade that opens, on the Avenue Louise side, onto a square porch serving as a vestibule. The short side, framed by corner pilasters, is also punctuated by two windows with cornice-framed openings, surmounted by an oculus.

The long side features three arched bays, delineated by pilasters. These arches, resting on half-pilasters, house rectangular windows framed and surmounted by a half-moon. Each of the long sides, facing each other, is also preceded by a central portico opening onto a porch, similar in design to the one on the short side.

ABOUT THE INAUGURAL EXHIBITION BY ADRIEN LUCCA

Adrien Lucca (born in Paris, lives and works in Brussels) will inaugurate the new gallery space of LMNO at the Pavillion No. 544 with a solo exhibition. Known for his multidisciplinary work exploring colour and light, Lucca questions the perception of the physical world. With a background in contemporary colour science, he has established a research and production laboratory where he autonomously conceives his works at the intersection of art and science.

The exhibition will present the result of Lucca’s residency Going Wild in the City as part of the European STARTS in the City program. This residency, organised by GLUON and Innoviris with National Lottery support, focuses on fostering awareness of the interconnectedness of all living beings in urban environments.

Lucca’s residency project explores the differences in colour perception between humans and insects, highlighting how both species experience their surroundings through unique visual interactions. He examines how urban and natural environments are shaped by these perceptions, questioning our understanding of "natural colors" as influenced by our visual organs.