Galerie Zwart Huis began its activities at the "De Beir" house at 8, Avenue Dumortierlaan, in Knokke, Belgium. The renowned architect Huib Hoste built this modernist house in 1924.

There were acclaimed exhibitions of Belgian artists with an international reputation such as Jan Fabre, Luc Deleu, Ronny Delrue, Carl De Keyzer, Liliane Vertessen, Johan Tahon and Jan De Vliegher. Solo shows were set up in the fifteen rooms of the house: the museum-style exhibitions took account of the modernist architecture of the building.

The house was furnished with subtle design classics by Mies van de Rohe, Noguchi, Eileen Gray, Eames or Bertoia.

The gallery opened its doors with the exhibition "The Inappropriate City" by Luc Deleu. During the Beaufort 2003 exhibition Jan Fabre exhibited drawings around the theme of the tortoise - right at the time when he revealed his famous sculpture in the town of Nieuwpoort.

The closing exhibition "Color" combined monochrome works of William Cole with original polychrome furniture (1925) by architect Huib Hoste that were borrowed from individuals and the Design Museum in Ghent.