Hugo Voeten: A Visionary Entrepreneur and Patron of Contemporary Art with a Legacy of Over 170 Million Euros
Hugo Voeten
Hugo Voeten, a well-known Belgian entrepreneur, made his mark on the retail sector with the creation of his Cash Fresh chain, focusing on fresh food and home-made preparations. His chain, well established in the Antwerp and Kempen regions, grew to 43 stores before being sold to the Delhaize Group in 2005 for a considerable sum. In addition to his success in business, Voeten is renowned for for its love of art. He has built up a rich collection over the past thirty years, not as a financial investment, but out of a passion for beauty. H Voeten had a fortune of over 170 million euros.
It is this private collection of works, including pieces by contemporary and modern art of international renown, on display at the Hugo Voeten Art Center in Herentalslocated in a converted former factory near the Kempisch Canal. Inaugurated in April 2012, the museum features works by artists such as Wim Delvoye, Panamarenko and Thierry De Cordier, to name but a few. In addition to this urban cultural space, the Beeldentuin Hugo Voeten in Geel is an invitation to explore art in nature.. This open-air collection covers a 15-hectare site and was designed in collaboration with landscape architects Jacques Wirtz and Erik Dhont.
Visits to these sites are organized according to specific timetables and generally require advance reservations. The Beeldentuin Hugo Voeten in Geel and the Centre d'Art Hugo Voeten in Herentals are two complementary environments offering visitors a variety of indoor and outdoor artistic experiences. The collection highlights Voeten's vision, which, through the curation of its exhibition spaces, offers chronological presentations and innovative curatorial concepts to both national and international audiences.
Hugo Voeten, who passed away in 2017remains a renowned patron of the arts, having provided a platform for both local and international artistic creations. His legacy continues to enrich the Belgian cultural landscape, attracting contemporary art connoisseurs and the general public alike. Hugo Voeten died leaving a legacy of €171,267,290.
