After spending several years collecting works of art, each purchased as and when they appealed to him, Michel Rein decided to open a gallery in Tours in 1992. There, he exhibits the work of prestigious artists such as Philippe Mayaux, Chen Zen, Allan Sekula and Daniel Buren.

After seven years, Michel Rein closed the gallery in Tours and, in 2000, opened a space in Paris. The list of represented artists was added to with artists who have since then gained renown, such as ORLAN, Jean-Pierre Bertrand, Saâdane Afif and Didier Marcel, as well as young artists including Armand Jalut and Raphaël Zarka.

In 2013, Michel Rein opened a new space in Brussels with the desire to offer his artists a new market and give the gallery a European dimension..