RA Antwerp
Since opening in 2009, RA Antwerp has stood as a platform of support for directional fashion and emerging artistic talent in Antwerp, Belgium. The space in the heart of the city comprises of four key components - a fashion retail concept, a bustling café restaurant, an art gallery space and curated bookstore. The sprawling building on the Kloosterstraat is decorated with site-specific installations by local and international artists, which include a thatched-roof cashdesk, pumpkin patch and a hidden roof garden. A subtle carnival atmosphere permeates the various rooms.
Visitors enter the space through a wooden barn door directly into the gallery space, which hosts exhibitions by emerging artists and collectives, or extends the eclectic spirit of the boutique’s collections into hybrid installations fusing fashion and art. Artists and designers are encouraged to extend their works to involve all elements of the RA space, from the gallery space to the kitchen to limited-edition printed matter.
The fashion retail floor houses the collections of over sixty prêt-a-porter labels including bespoke fashion and accessories designers, supported by a comprehensive online store at http://shop.ra13.be. The designs are focused on unusual and handmade garments with small-run production, with limited edition and exclusive pieces created for RA.
The RA bookshop presents a wide international display of recent titles on contemporary art and photography. Next to monographs and catalogues regarding these subject matters, attention is given to related titles on critical theory and to an interesting proposal of artists’ books with special attention to the local production of younger artists.
The 50-seat RA kitchen concept offers a wholesome seasonal menu by cook Hadas Cnaani, with weekly specials inspired by local and available produce. The kitchen space facilitates special events in cooperation with the art gallery, including vernissages and performances.
(Photography by Frederik Vercruysse)