Patric Tuytens displays Porsche and art collection at Merode
Patric Tuytens, a former textile company executive from Ronse, houses a collection of contemporary artworks and classic Porsche automobiles inside a former sewing workshop named Merode.
From Textile Mill to Private Art Space
The collection occupies the former Alsico Tech sewing workshop, which Tuytens transformed in 2022 to display works primarily by emerging artists. Having grown up accompanying his parents to art galleries, Tuytens amassed pieces that eventually overflowed his home and the family textile business, Concordia. The space takes its name from the surrounding street, Merode.
Among the exhibits is a 2000 painting by Hilde Goossens titled On my way to Hasselt, featuring a sports car modified at Tuytens’ request to match his own real Porsche 356 C Cabriolet from 1964. The vehicle sits directly in front of the canvas. Tuytens drives the car regularly, noting that visitors experience stronger emotional reactions to the Porsches than to many of the traditional artworks on display.
Curating Cars Alongside Contemporary Art
Tuytens views his Porsches as large-scale sculptural objects rather than traditional mechanical hobbies. His automotive history includes a 1970 Citroën 2pk as his first car, a 1957 MGA he describes as his worst, and a 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC as his daily driver. For rallies, he utilizes a 1970 Porsche 911 Targa finished in the factory “tangerine” color, purchased through a Dutch specialist recommended by Gregory, a collection car expert at the auction house Broad Arrow.
The automotive theme extends into the gallery’s art collection. A miniature diorama by French artist Gaspard Mitz titled Box Stay Fuel (2021) parodies Edward Hopper’s painting Gas by depicting a tiny Porsche 911 Targa refueling at a lonely station. Nearby hangs Time is money (2019) by Damien De Lepeleire, featuring a Lamborghini Miura in a matching shade of orange alongside an authentic vintage gasoline pump.
Marie Tuytens Manages Operations at Merode
Marie Tuytens, the 39-year-old daughter of Patric, works part-time at Merode after studying at the Antwerp Academy and spending years working as a kindergarten teacher. She handles the operational management of the space while her father acquires the art. Whenever a vehicle leaves the premises for a rally or maintenance, Patric places a miniature model on a pedestal to maintain the visual balance of the exhibition space.
Merode operates primarily by appointment for groups of twelve or more, though Marie organizes public events. The third edition of Pop-in Collect, a selling exhibition featuring works by eighteen artists priced up to 3,000 euros, is scheduled for the final two weekends of November, during which individual visitors can access the permanent collection without a prior reservation.