White Cube in Liège, Belgium

Rue Saint-Paul is one of the main shopping streets in Liège. In the middle of the street, a shop window stands out from all the others: it displays only contemporary works of art, which change regularly. The window and the works belong to the Uhoda Collection, the largest private collection of contemporary art in the city.

The Uhoda Collection was founded in the 1970s by the brothers Stephan and Georges Uhoda. It brings together works by artists from Liège and all over the world, from the 1960s to the present day. The two brothers buy works when they fall in love with them, without any desire for consistency. In addition to supporting artists, the two brothers regularly take part in initiatives to make contemporary art accessible to everyone.

The idea of exhibiting works of art directly on the street was realised in 2019 as part of Art au Centre. Launched by the City of Liège, this artistic project aims to revitalise the city centre by exhibiting works by Liège artists in unoccupied shop windows in the city centre. It takes place several times a year for about 2 months. In 2021, the two brothers decided to go even further: while continuing to participate in each edition of Art au Centre, they now exhibited works from their collection without interruption. The showcase became known as "White Cube" and had its own website. The works were exhibited day and night for periods ranging from 15 days to 2 months.

The idea of buying a shop window on a high street to display works of art from a private collection on a permanent basis seems to have no equivalent. In any case, it has achieved its aim: to give passers-by free access to quality contemporary art. Anyone can take the time to admire them whenever they like, and if necessary, an explanatory text is available on the White Cube website.