Embelco,
Logistics partner
For the first episode of our “Partner Perspectives” series, we sit down with Nils de Chevigny, director of Embelco, our new logistics partner. He tells us about his role in the Art Prize laureates’ exhibition and our upcoming VIP lounge, as well as his commitment to emerging artists.
You are directly involved in two concrete projects at the fair: the exhibition of the five Art Prize laureates, and the development of a new space, an exclusive VIP lounge designed in collaboration with other partners. Could you tell us more about your role in these two projects, which mark your commitment as a new partner of the fair?
NdC For the exhibition of the five Art Prize laureates, we handle the logistics from start to finish: transporting the works from studios or galleries, custom packing, handling and on-site installation. Ceramics require particular care, and our job is to make sure every piece arrives and is installed in impeccable conditions.
For the VIP lounge, our teams will collect the furniture and design pieces from the designers carefully selected by MAD. We will bring these pieces together in our secure 8,000 m² warehouse before delivering and installing them.
These projects will showcase works by young contemporary creators, both Belgian and international. What does it mean to you to be involved in these initiatives?
NdC It is a meaningful commitment for us, for several reasons.
First, supporting young Belgian and international creators means stepping in at the moment when their work is beginning to circulate, to be shown and to meet an audience. Handling the logistics of these first major exhibitions is a responsibility we take seriously: we want to offer them the same level of care as a museum collection piece. It is a concrete way of supporting creation.
Second, the contemporary scene is where Embelco has repositioned itself since the early 2000s, so putting our expertise at the service of emerging talent is a natural extension of that choice.
Finally, it is also a source of renewal for our teams: each project confronts us with new materials, new formats and new constraints.
"Supporting a fair that showcases young contemporary art means investing in the ecosystem our profession depends on: artists, galleries and fairs are all part of the same fabric, and our role is to be a reliable link in it."
Nils de Chevigny
Through your work, you are regularly in contact with very different artists and creative worlds. How did your interest in the art world come about, and what does this contact with creation bring you, professionally or personally?
NdC At Embelco, our relationship with art has been built over time. The company was founded in 1948 in packaging, before specialising in antiques and then in contemporary art. Personally, it is this daily contact with artworks and with the people who create them that has fuelled my interest, rather than any theoretical calling.
What is special about our profession is that it connects us with extremely varied creative worlds: an antiques dealer, a designer, a contemporary art gallery and a young ceramicist do not work in the same way or have the same expectations. Learning to understand each of these worlds and respect their requirements is a form of ongoing education.
What this contact brings me, both professionally and personally, is a demand for precision that takes on its full meaning when what you are handling is unique and often irreplaceable. There is something very stimulating in knowing that our rigour serves creation.
How does this commitment to ceramic brussels fit with Embelco's long-term vision?
NdC Since 2020, together with my two partners, we have been breathing new life into Embelco, working to professionalise the company and optimise its tools and processes. We have long shared the conviction that art logistics leaves no room for approximation, and it is precisely this standard that we want to keep upholding by putting it at the service of tomorrow's art scene.
Joining ceramic brussels as a new partner is a natural extension of this vision. Supporting a fair that showcases young contemporary art means investing in the ecosystem our profession depends on: artists, galleries and fairs are all part of the same fabric, and our role is to be a reliable link in it.
Committing to a fair is not just about providing a service: it is about affirming the place we want to hold in the long term, as a trusted partner of contemporary creation, in Belgium and beyond.
© Embelco 
© Embelco