31st Contemporary art fair. Featuring 187 international galleries, the fair boasts many new features and projects, with an extensive programme of discursive activities as well as performances. The former side programme Video in the City has been replaced by The Cinema.
Brussels is getting ready for the 31st edition of Art Brussels. Featuring 187 international galleries, a strong selection of upcoming as well as established galleries, including 78 newcomers, the fair boasts many new features and projects, initiated by the new artistic director, curator Katerina Gregos.
New at the fair
Among the many novelties at Art Brussels one will find: newly-designed exhibitions halls and spaces, designed by the young up-coming Belgian designer Tom Mares in collaboration with artist Walt Van Beek; an exciting programme of talks, debates and performances that will take place on THE STAGE, the discursive heart of the fair; THE CINEMA, a specially designed structure featuring artists’ short videos and films; and more, including presentations of the most exciting Brussels-based artist and curator-run spaces (Etablissement d’ en face, Institut de Carton, Komplot, La Loge, Maison Gregoire, SIC) and special artists’ projects.
THE STAGE
A newly designed structure, THE STAGE, will feature an extensive programme of discursive activities (debates, talks, workshops) as well as performances. THE STAGE is the place where ideas and people will gather in order to listen to the ideas that currently matter. Among the highlights, “What is It That Makes Today’s Belgium so Different So Appealing?” and “Brussels: Marriage of Convenience or Love Match?”, two discussions on the status of Brussels as Europe’s most upcoming art city. Also, “The Pleasures and Challenges of Collecting and Presenting Video“, a panel on the demystification of video; “The Extra Mile: Engaged Collecting. ” a discussion about new models of collecting from the private museum and beyond, “Art Fairs: Are they Really so Bad After All?“, an open and critical discussion of the pros and cons of the art fair phenomenon, “Tilting the Collector” three talks on the immaterial and the ephemeral that push the idea of ‘collecting’ into more expansive corporalities and, finally, “The value of our love. Artistic Practice and its economic reality”, a full-day round table debate and artistic presentations that reflect on the artistic practice in times of a changing economy.
Participants include, among others curators: Ute Meta Bauer (Dean of Fine Art at the Royal College of Art, London), Chris Dercon (Director, Tate Modern, London), Chris Fitzpatrick (director, Objectif Exhibitions, Antwerp), Maurizio Morra Greco (collector, founder Fondazione Morra Greco, Naples), Nav Haq (Curator, MuHKA, Antwerp), Jacob Fabricius (director Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen), Zoe Gray (independent curator, Brussels/Rotterdam), Isabelle & Jean-Conrad Lemaître (collectors, Paris), Sabrina van der Ley (Director for Contemporary Art, National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo), Sandra Hegedus Mulliez (Founder, SAM Art Projects, Paris), Hans Ulrich Obrist (Co-Director, Serpentine Gallery, London), Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez (independent curator, Paris), Andrea Phillips (Reader in Fine Art in the Department of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, and Director of the Doctoral Research Programmes in Fine Art and Curating), Anne-Claire Schmitz (director, La Loge, Brussels), Dirk Snauwaert (Director, Wiels, Brussels), Guy Ullens (Founder, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing), as well artists Agency / Kobe Matthys, David Claerbout, Gabriel Kuri, Hans Op de Beeck, Olaf Olsson, Bik van der Pol, Zin Taylor, Sissel Tolaas.
Performances by Francesco Cavalieri, Roberto Paci Dalò, Colden Drystone, Kendell Geers, Olav Westphalen
For the full programme see: www.artbrussels.be
THE CINEMA: Film & video at Art Brussels
The former side programme Video in the City has been replaced by THE CINEMA, a specially designed space within the fair, where one can view shorter duration videos in an appropriate setting. The featured artists, which were selected from gallery submissions, are: Wojciech Bakowski, Bertille Bak, George Barber, Bill Balaskas, Vincent Beaurin, Thomas Bogaert, Jordi Colomer, Elena Damiani, Aurélien Froment, Amy Granat, Alexandra Hopf, Joan Jonas, Basim Magdy, Marinella Senatore, Shimabuku, Mona Vatamanu & Florin Tudor, and Katarina Zdjelar.
Press & Communications
Gerrie Soetaert - Populierstraat 9 Rue du Peuplier BE-1000 Brussels T +32 (0)475 479869 F +32 (0)2 2193027 gerrie.soetaert@skynet.be
Preview 17 April: 12–4pm (invitation only)
Vernissage 17 April: 4–10pm (invitation only)
Brussels Expo – Halls 1 & 3
Place de Belgique, 1 BE-1020 Brussels
Hours:
Fair: Thursday 18–Sunday 21 April: 12–7pm
Nocturne: Thursday 18 April: 7–10pm