{"id":69647,"date":"2026-04-27T19:01:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T19:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/69647\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T19:01:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T19:01:10","slug":"art-fair-report-art-brussels-returned-upbeat-for-a-42nd-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/69647\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Fair Report: Art Brussels Returned Upbeat for a 42nd Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"A<\/a>Artist Natasja Mabesoone created an immersive environment for the entrance of Art Brussels (Gallery Sofie Van de Velde, Antwerp). Photo: Martin Pilette for Bureau Rouge<\/p>\n

At this year\u2019s slightly contracted Art Brussels, the welcome began before the booths. At the entrance, by the ticketing and information desks, Natasja Mabesoone<\/a>\u2019s site-specific commission Cher mouths Mary, Mary mouths Cher set the tone. Presented with Gallery Sofie Van de Velde<\/a> (Antwerp), the work wrapped the arrival zone in pinkish wallpaper and a language of glittered makeup and coded femininity. It turned the fair\u2019s self-contained world into a tongue-in-cheek stage propelled by desire, while exposing the mechanics that shape the art spectacle.<\/p>\n

Inside Hall 5, Observer met managing director Nele Verhaeren<\/a>, whose enthusiasm matched the room. \u201cMore than 500 artists are shown at the fair, the majority of them living, with an important proportion of women,\u201d she said. The fair\u2019s 42nd edition attracted 139 galleries from 26 countries\u201465 percent of which were returning participants\u2014and the preview and subsequent days felt steady, with Belgian collectors joined by visitors from neighboring countries and gallerists reporting plenty of sales to younger buyers. \u201cWe have a redesigned layout that offers a clearer and more engaging journey, at a slower pace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the five sections, \u201cPrime\u201d was the largest, with 83 galleries mounting booths of modern and contemporary masters alongside established names. Belgian galleries from Mendes Wood DM<\/a> and Xavier Hufkens<\/a> to Almine Rech<\/a> and Galerie Greta Meert<\/a> made a strong showing. Tim Van Laere Gallery<\/a>, based in Antwerp and Rome, stood out, pairing Rinus Van de Velde<\/a>\u2019s poetic charcoal drawings with Dennis Tyfus<\/a>\u2019s commanding Two Head Dog. Nearby, Brussels-local Sorry We’re Closed<\/a> brought a surprise: a totemic ceramic sculpture by Senegalese artist Seyni Awa Camara<\/a>, who died last January.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/a>Jannis Varelas, Le Chevalier du Sommeil, 2025. Oil, pure pigment, dry pastel and gesso on canvas, 180 x 180 cm. Photo courtesy Galerie Krinzinger (Vienna)<\/p>\n

But it was the returning exhibitors that really gave the event its international pulse. \u201cWe\u2019re glad to be back after some years of absence,\u201d said Thomas Krinzinger<\/a> of Galerie Krinzinger<\/a> out of Vienna. \u201cBrussels is an ideal meeting point for collectors.\u201d His booth featured new paintings by Greek artist Jannis Varelas<\/a> on the transformation of the self with references to fashion, as well as photographs from iconic performances of Marina Abramovi\u0107. Romero Paprocki<\/a> (out of Paris and Milan) featured refined steel pieces by the emerging Franco-Italian artist Matisse Mesnil<\/a>, whose first Art Brussels presentation echoed the formal logic of his current solo exhibition \u201cSutura\u201d at the gallery, treating seriality with cool discipline. This generational focus was visible across the fair: 28 percent of participation was dedicated to young contemporary positions, and 25 percent of represented artists were under 40.<\/p>\n

Solo projects were dispersed throughout, presenting concentrated statements made by individual artists. rodolphe janssen<\/a> (Brussels) presented intimate and theatrical paintings by Patrizio di Massimo<\/a> in which he appears with his partner Nicoletta, wandering through monuments in Italy and the U.K. NEWCHILD<\/a> (Antwerp) centered on Xi’an Kim<\/a>\u2019s \u201cA Small Theatre Inside the Home\u201d project that has deepened her approach to still life through everyday objects set within an idealized emptiness.<\/p>\n

\"An\"An<\/a>Lazy Mike (Seoul) showed an impressive installation by U.S. artist Willie Stewart, featuring what he calls his \u201cimage-objects.\u201d Courtesy the gallery<\/p>\n

Lawrence Calver<\/a> created an enveloping environment for the stand of De Brock<\/a> (Knokke). He does not use paint but builds from textiles (sails, jute duffel bags, money bags, military clothing and French bed linen) found at flea markets or during travels. \u201cAt 33 years old, Calver is one of the youngest artists in our program,\u201d Bertram De Brock<\/a> told Observer. \u201cHis work is extremely rich and mature and has been exhibited in London, New York and Los Angeles over the past three years.\u201d Prices ranged between \u20ac20,000 and \u20ac35,000. Lazy Mike<\/a> gallery (Seoul and Riga) created a similar atmosphere with their display of Willie Stewart<\/a>, whose recent works sit between painting and immersive display, using rural Americana and subcultural fragments as a symbolic vocabulary.<\/p>\n

Rooted in the fair\u2019s own history, \u201c\u201968 Forward\u201d highlights galleries exploring movements that have shaped contemporary art since 1968, the founding year of Art Brussels. It looks to established figures and also artists who have stayed outside the main spotlight. This year\u2019s prize went to Einspach & Czapolai Fine Art<\/a> (Budapest), representing Orshi Drozdik<\/a>, whose feminist research brings together performance, printmaking and drawing.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiscovery\u201d served as the platform for emerging international talent via solo shows and curated dialogues. Some entries were compelling, though the section as a whole could have allowed for bolder choices. House of Chappaz<\/a> (Barcelona) was one of the few to foreground the moving image, with a video installation by Mexico City-based Andrew Roberts<\/a>, who examines power structures through gameplay and horror. MONITOR<\/a> and Mat\u00e8ria<\/a>, both linked to Rome, shared a booth hung with Francisca Valador<\/a>\u2019s life-size still lifes in oil on stainless steel and Thomas Braida<\/a>\u2019s sly feline portraits.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/a>Kasper De Vos, represented by Pizza Gallery (Antwerp, Ghent), was one of the winners of the Discovery Acquisition Prize. Courtesy the gallery<\/p>\n

The Discovery Acquisition Prize, which funds up to \u20ac10,000 for an artwork destined for a museum collection, recognized Kasper De Vos<\/a>, represented by Pizza Gallery<\/a> (Antwerp, Ghent), whose sculptures channel folklore; Lena Marie Emrich<\/a> of OFFICE IMPART<\/a> (Berlin); and Alejandra Caicedo<\/a> at Tom Reichstein<\/a> (Hamburg), whose almost sold-out booth addressed Afro-Latin American migration and identity. The Ixelles Museum will unveil these acquisitions in March 2027 for its reopening.<\/p>\n

\u201cHorizons,\u201d the brand-new section for large-scale projects beyond the booth, was curated by Devrim Bayar<\/a>, senior curator at KANAL-Centre Pompidou<\/a>, which will open in November 2026 with 10 exhibitions spanning art and architecture. Seven monumental works by eight galleries formed a scenographic parcours designed for experimentation, affirming the fair\u2019s commitment to elaborate production under museum-quality conditions. Bayar told Observer that the section gave participants freedom to fully deploy their proposals where ambition meets the scale of the artistic gesture. Despite the variety of practices, \u201ccertain echoes emerge between the works, particularly around revisited architectural motifs,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Highlights were easy to find. Zuzanna Czebatul<\/a>\u2019s T-Kollaps, presented by sans titre<\/a> (Paris), reimagined classical columns as transparent ruins in polyethylene, shifting marble\u2019s authority into something unstable. The installation hovered between an inflated playground and a speculative archaeological site. Aglaia Konrad<\/a>\u2019s Frauenzimmer with NADJA VILENNE<\/a> (Li\u00e8ge) used free-standing glass windows from the Brodski\/Lambrichs CBR building in Brussels, mirroring visitors as they passed by. Elen Braga<\/a>\u2019s Elen ou Hubris, proposed by Wouters Gallery<\/a> (Brussels), stretched across 24 meters of hand-tufted tapestry showing the artist in a catsuit lifting a weight.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/a>Elen Braga, Elen or Hubris, 2020. Shown by Wouters Gallery. The monumental tapestry first hung on the Triumphal Arch in Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels (2020) replacing the Belgian flag for one day.\u00a0 Photo: Martin Pilette for Bureau Rouge<\/p>\n

A practical addition with a caring touch, the \u201cArt Advisory Desk\u201d offered complimentary 45-minute sessions for newcomers buying their first artwork. It connected people with gallerists and offered tailored advice for both occasional buyers and seasoned collectors.<\/p>\n

Special projects extended the program. \u201cNot Everything is for Sale\u201d at the Stibbe Lounge asked 15 Belgian gallerists with over 25 years of activity: which artwork would they never part with, and why? Daniel Templon<\/a>, six decades in, picked a 1973 Andy Warhol<\/a> portrait of legendary dealer Leo Castelli<\/a>, widely credited with originating the contemporary gallery system. The KickCancer Collection returned for a fourth year with \u201cSmall Art with a Big Heart,\u201d activated by tastemaker Albert Baronian<\/a>. Original compact works donated by participating galleries were sold anonymously at \u20ac400, with proceeds going to the Belgian foundation and its mission to cure every child with cancer. The artist\u2019s name was revealed only after purchase.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/a>Andy Warhol, Portrait of Leo, 1973. Acrylic and silkscreen on canvas, 102,5 x 102,5 cm. Photo \u00a9 Laurent Edeline<\/p>\n

Beyond the halls, the fair\u2019s VIP and OFF program opened Brussels\u2019 private collections and institutions. A hidden gem was \u201cIs That All There Is?\u201d at Cloud Seven, drawn from the Collection of Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric de Goldschmidt<\/a>. Among many other works, the top floor hosted a cast body by Antony Gormley<\/a>, evoking vulnerability and ecstasy, a self-portrait by David Wojnarowicz<\/a>, a powerful Paradise photograph by Tacita Dean<\/a> and Jo\u00ebl Andrianomearisoa<\/a>\u2019s gin bottle titled Antidote for a Sentimental Solitude. The selection caught the exhibition\u2019s appeal: polished and generous, with curiosity intact.<\/p>\n

Art Brussels was singularly upbeat this year and delivered a confident, well-paced edition. The slower flow mentioned by Verhaeren worked to the dealers\u2019 advantage. Younger collectors turned up. \u201cHorizons\u201d gave the fair real institutional weight while the smaller initiatives lent it heart. Brussels remains a quietly essential stop on the European art calendar.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/a>Intimate new paintings by Italian artist Patrizio di Massimo at rodolphe janssen (Brussels). Photo: Hugard & Vanoverschelde
\nMore in Art Fairs, Biennials and Triennials<\/p>\n

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