At this year’s slightly contracted Art Brussels fair, the welcome started before the booths. At the entrance, next to the ticket and information desks, is Natasja Mabesoone’s commission for the site Share the mouths of Maryam, Maryam the mouths of Share Set the tone. Presented at Sophie van de Velde Gallery (Antwerp), this work covered the arrival area with pink wallpaper and a language of bright makeup and coded femininity. She turns the self-contained gallery world into a satirical theater driven by desire, while revealing the mechanisms that shape the art scene.
Inside Hall 5, the Observer met Managing Director Nellie Verhaeren, whose enthusiasm matched the room. She said: “More than 500 artists are participating in the exhibition, the majority of whom live with a significant percentage of women.” The 42nd edition of the fair attracted 139 galleries from 26 countries – 65 percent of them returning participants – and the preview and subsequent days felt steady, with Belgian collectors joining visitors from neighboring countries and gallery owners reporting plenty of sales to younger buyers. “Our redesigned design provides a sharper, more engaging ride, at a slower pace.”
Of the five sections, “Prime” was the largest, featuring 83 galleries and booths of modern and contemporary artwork alongside well-known names. Belgian galleries from Mendes Wood DM and Xavier Hufkens to Almine Rech and Galerie Greta Meert put on a strong showing. Tim van Leer Gallery, based in Antwerp and Rome, rose to prominence, juxtaposing the poetic charcoal drawings of Rinus van de Velde with the commanding drawings of Denis Thyvos. Two-headed dog. Nearby, the Sorry We’re Closed area of Brussels brought a surprise: a totemic ceramic sculpture by Senegalese artist Seni Awa Camara, who died last January.
But it is the returning exhibitors who give the event its international pulse. “We are happy to be back after a few years of absence,” said Thomas Krinzinger of the Krinzinger Gallery outside Vienna. “Brussels is an ideal meeting point for collectors.” Its pavilion displayed new paintings by Greek artist Janis Varelas about the transformation of the self with references to fashion, as well as photographs from famous shows by Marina Abramović. Romero Paprocki (of Paris and Milan) showed polished steel pieces by the emerging French-Italian artist Matisse Mesnil, whose first show at Art Brussels echoed the formal logic of his current solo exhibition “Sotora” at the gallery, handling serialization with exquisite discipline. This generational focus was evident throughout the exhibition: 28% of the entry was devoted to contemporary youth positions, and 25% of the artists represented were under the age of forty.
Individual projects were distributed throughout the exhibition, presenting focused statements made by individual artists. Rudolf Janssen (Brussels) presented intimate and theatrical paintings by Patricio Di Massimo in which he and his partner, Nicoletta, wander through monuments in Italy and the United Kingdom. Newchild (Antwerp) focused on Cheanne Kim’s project “Mini Theater Inside the House,” which deepened her approach to still life through everyday objects placed within an idealized space.
Lawrence Culver created a setting for De Brock’s (Knokke) situation. He does not use paint but is made from textiles (sails, duffel bags, money bags, military clothing, French bedspreads) found at flea markets or while traveling. “At 33 years old, Calver is one of the youngest artists on our programme,” Bertram De Broc told the Observer. “His work is very rich and mature and has been exhibited in London, New York and Los Angeles over the past three years.” Prices ranged between 20,000 and 35,000 euros. Lazy Mike Gallery (Seoul and Riga) created a similar atmosphere with the show of Willie Stewart, whose recent works fall between painting and immersive display, using rural America and parts of its subculture as symbolic vocabulary.
Rooted in the gallery’s history, ’68 Forward’ highlights galleries exploring the movements that have shaped contemporary art since 1968, the founding year of Art Brussels. He looks to established figures as well as artists who have remained outside the mainstream spotlight. This year’s award went to Einsbach & Chapolai Fine Arts (Budapest), representing Orši Drozdik, whose feminist research combines performance, printmaking and drawing.
“Discovery” served as a platform for emerging international talent through solo performances and curated dialogues. Some of the entries were compelling, although the section as a whole could have allowed for bolder choices. The House of Chappaz (Barcelona) was one of the few houses to foreground the moving image, with a video installation by Mexico City-based Andrew Roberts, which examines structures of power through play and horror. MONITOR and Matèria, associated with Rome, shared a hanging booth featuring life-sized still lifes by Francesca Vallador in oil on stainless steel and Thomas Breda’s sly portraits of cats.
The Discovery Acquisition Award, which funds up to €10,000 for an artwork intended for the museum’s collection, honored Kasper De Vos, represented by Pizza Gallery (Antwerp, Ghent), whose sculptures convey folklore; Lena Marie Emmerich from OFFICE IMPART (Berlin); and Alejandra Caicedo at Tom Reichstein Gallery (Hamburg), whose nearly sold-out booth dealt with immigration and Afro-Latino identity in America. The Ixelles Museum will unveil these collections in March 2027 for its reopening.
“Horizons,” the brand-new section for large-scale projects outside the pavilion, is curated by Devrim Bayard, chief curator of the Center Canal Pompidou, and will open in November 2026 with 10 exhibitions covering art and architecture. Seven monumental works from eight galleries formed scenographic arenas designed for experimentation, underscoring the gallery’s commitment to developing production under museum-quality conditions. Bayar told Observer that the department gave participants the freedom to fully publish their proposals where ambition meets the scale of the artistic initiative. Despite the diversity of practices, “certain echoes emerge among the works, especially around reconsidered architectural motifs,” she added.
Highlights were easy to find. Zuzana Zibatul T collabspresented by Sans Caliber (Paris), reimagined classical columns as translucent polyethylene ruins, transforming the authority of marble into something unstable. The artwork hovered between an inflated stadium and a meditative archaeological site. Aglaia Conrad Fraunzimmer With NADJA VILENNE (Liège) she used free-standing glass windows from the Brodski/Lambrichs CBR building in Brussels, reflecting visitors as they pass by. Ellen Braga Elinity or arroganceproposed by Waters Gallery (Brussels), spans 24 meters of hand-tufted tapestry showing the artist wearing a catsuit lifting a weight.
Adding practicality with a nurturing touch, the Art Advisory Office offers free 45-minute sessions to newcomers who purchase their first work of art. She connects people with art gallery owners and provides personalized advice to both casual buyers and seasoned collectors.
Special projects expanded the program. “Not everything is for sale” at the Stibbe Gallery 15 Belgian gallery owners with more than 25 years of activity were asked: What artworks would they never give up, and why? Six decades later, Daniel Templon chose Andy Warhol’s 1973 portrait of the legendary dealer Leo Castelli, widely credited with creating the contemporary gallery system. The KickCancer collection returns for the fourth year with “Small Art with a Big Heart” animated by tastemaker Albert Baronian. Original combined works donated anonymously by participating galleries were sold for €400, with proceeds going to the Belgian Foundation and its mission to cure every child affected by cancer. The artist’s name was only revealed after purchase.
Outside the halls, the VIP and OFF program of the exhibition was opened by private collections and institutions in Brussels. A hidden gem was “Is That All There Is?” On Cloud Seven, from the collection of Frederic de Goldschmidt. Among many other works, the upper floor hosted a body by Antony Gormley, evoking vulnerability and ecstasy, and a portrait of David Wojnarowicz, a powerful figure. heaven Photo taken by Tacita Dean and Joël Andrianomearisoa’s gin bottle titled An antidote to emotional isolation. The selection captured the exhibition’s appeal: refined and generous, while maintaining curiosity.
Art Brussels was uniquely optimistic this year and presented a confident and fast-paced edition. The slower flow mentioned by Verhaeren was to the advantage of traders. Younger collectors emerged. The “Afaq” program gave it real institutional weight, while smaller initiatives did not. Brussels remains an essential stop on the European artistic calendar.
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