Louma Salameh, Director of the Villa Empain. (Credit: Laetizia Bazzoni)
The doors of the Villa Empain have barely opened before visitors pour into the vast white hall with its gilded edges. In jeans and a shirt, Louma Salameh is already at work with her team, shaping outlines of upcoming exhibitions in an atmosphere both rigorous and convivial. The simplicity adopted by the youthful, relaxed curator contrasts with the demanding nature of her mission: organizing world-renowned exhibitions built on aesthetic emotion, contextualized narratives, and a carefully staged sense of artistic brilliance.Through the large windows overlooking the park and century-old trees stretches the immense pool, surrounded by an oval pergola — a unique feature in Brussels. A swim is tempting. “That is absolutely forbidden,” Salameh says with a smile. “I’d never dare. I have too much respect for this extraordinary pool, just like my...
The doors of the Villa Empain have barely opened before visitors pour into the vast white hall with its gilded edges. In jeans and a shirt, Louma Salameh is already at work with her team, shaping outlines of upcoming exhibitions in an atmosphere both rigorous and convivial. The simplicity adopted by the youthful, relaxed curator contrasts with the demanding nature of her mission: organizing world-renowned exhibitions built on aesthetic emotion, contextualized narratives, and a carefully staged sense of artistic brilliance.Through the large windows overlooking the park and century-old trees stretches the immense pool, surrounded by an oval pergola — a unique feature in Brussels. A swim is tempting. “That is absolutely forbidden,” Salameh says with a smile. “I’d never dare. I have too much respect for this extraordinary pool,...