Main News: Ullens Center for Contemporary Art Co-Founder Killed
By The Editors
Portrait of MYRIAM and GUY ULLENS at “’85 New Wave: The Birth of Chinese Contemporary Art,” the opening exhibition of Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, 2007. Courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.
Philanthropist and art collector Myriam Ullens, who together with her husband Guy Ullens established the first private museum of contemporary art in Beijing, was shot dead by her stepson Nicolas Ullens on March 29 in Ohain village near Lasne, Belgium. Guy was also wounded in the leg but survived the attack, which reportedly took place after a dispute over the family’s inheritance; Nicolas turned himself in to Belgian authorities the following day. In addition to potential criminal charges, Nicolas is also facing a civil suit brought by his father. Myriam’s killing sparked an outpouring of shock and grief from the worlds of art, fashion, and the Belgian aristocracy, including Queen Mathilde of Belgium, who announced her devastation at losing a close friend.
