Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Exhibition centre

Image Angel Marcos

Next month’s artbrussels fair, now in its 28th year, makes a perfect introduction to the wealth of contemporary art on display in the Belgian capital. Guy Dittrich goes gallery hopping

Belgium might not be the first place you think of for cutting-edge art, but its capital boasts a burgeoning contemporary scene. In fact, Brussels’ creative vitality is celebrated annually with artbrussels, held each April in the expo halls adjacent to the Atomium – arguably a work of art itself – on the plateau of Heizel to the east of the city.

Approximately three quarters of the galleries that exhibit at artbrussels are from outside of Belgium; a global reach that reflects both the cosmopolitan nature of Brussels and the eclectic nature of the subject matter. “If there is one trend in the contemporary art world today, it’s that there’s no real trend,” explains Karen Renders, exhibition director of artbrussels. “Artists are just doing their own thing in an increasingly global market.” And artbrussels is a great opportunity for collectors and curious travellers alike to get an understanding of the state of that market. With over 170 galleries exhibiting, it’s a one-stop shop where the works of over 2,000 artists can be compared and contrasted. “The profile of artbrussels is growing every year and we are delighted with the strong line-up for 2010,” says Renders. First appearances are being made by several top galleries this year, including Lisson and Maureen Paley from the UK, Emmanuel Perrotin from France, and Sprüth Magers and Johann König from Germany – all drawn by Brussels’ reputation for, and high concentration of, collectors.

Artbrussels is recognised as a quality fair, with an international independent committee that selects the exhibitors from over four hundred entries. It might not match the likes of Art Basel, London’s Frieze or Paris’ FIAC in terms of scale, but it more than makes up for this in intimacy and class. And like any self-respecting event, the ‘off show’ (outside of the trade fair) also draws a crowd, and makes the art accessible. The Art in the City exhibition, for example, sees sculptures in Egmont Park, just behind the luxury shops of Avenue de la Toison d’Or in the centre of town. And the first evening of the fair, 23 April, is Brussels Gallery Night, where even galleries that may not be showing will keep their doors open until 10pm (see artbrussels.be for details of galleries).

Great expectations

This year’s fair can expect 30,000 visitors, and there are good reasons for Brussels attracting such a strong audience of gallerists and collectors.

For a start, there’s the country’s artistic pedigree. Peter Paul Rubens, the Breugel dynasty and Anthony van Dyck were followed by James Ensor, who influenced the surrealist movement of René Magritte and Paul Delvaux… who said there are no famous Belgians?! An Ensor exhibition is being organised by Brussels’ Bozar (www.bozar.be) this summer, following recent shows of the Ostend artist’s work at both the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.

The strong tradition of art collecting in Belgium may also have something to do with the fact that, as a relatively young country, its citizens are still attempting to define their identity. Or perhaps it’s the lack of a tax on capital gains – which favours the wealthy, who are more liable to invest in art? More likely, however, it’s a virtuous circle, where the affordability of life in Brussels (certainly when compared with London or Paris) attracts an artistic community, which in turn needs galleries, and the galleries attract collectors. The central location and easy access are bonuses.

Whatever the initial reason, artists from across the globe do seem to be drawn to Brussels. The city has seen the relocation of Swiss photographer Beat Streuli, Mexican installation artist Gabriel Kuri, rebellious South African creative Kendell Geers and the multiple artistic talents of Germany’s Marin Kasimir. On the gallery side, world renowned institutions such as Gladstone in New York and Almine Rech in Paris have chosen Brussels as the location for first forays away from their home cities.

Supporting roles

While artbrussels provides a snapshot of the contemporary art market, there are also key galleries that you won’t want to miss while visiting the city. Amongst the most well known is that of Xavier Hufkens (www.xavierhufkens.com). Hufkens represents the foundations of major artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe and Willem de Kooning – arguably one of the most important artists of the 20th century – while the gallery’s open architecture and beautiful garden allow for bespoke installations from the likes of Sterling Ruby, or statues by Antony Gormley. “I am delighted to be able to support artbrussels,” says Hufkens.

He also welcomes the arrival of international galleries in Brussels, recognising that together they bring more focus to the Brussels market, which he sees as one of the world’s most “vibrant”. His gallery will be exhibiting at the fair with local artist, Cris Brodahl.

Nearby Hufkens in the Ixelles quarter is another of the more established galleries, Galerie Rodolphe Janssen (www.galerierodolphejanssen.com). Currently exhibiting here is Jean-Luc Moerman, who has the honour of decorating the cover of this year’s artbrussels catalogue. Expect to see his signature tattoo-like patterns, along with Kendell Geers, the gallery’s artist during the fair. “Artbrussels brings a great focus to Brussels,” says Janssen, “which, along with new exhibition spaces such as the Magritte Museum and Wiels, gives the city a new dimension for visitors.”

The Magritte Museum (www.museemagritte-museum.be) is a ‘must see’ while in town, while Wiels (www.wiels.org) represents a more avant-garde, or at least forward-facing, side of Brussels’ art scene. In a magnificent former brewery, it’s located in an appropriately edgy part of town. There’s no permanent collection, but exhibitions from Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Melvin Moti will be showing during artbrussels, and Wiels will participate in the Gallery Night.

Etablissement d’en Face Projects (www.etablissementdenfaceprojects.org) is another artistic collective, which provides a space for the origination of installation and video art. Nearby is activist gallery Dépendance (www.dependance.be), where Stephan Jaax and Michael Callies have moved on from their German origins to encompass, for example, abstract paintings from Danish artist Sergej Jensen and installations from Korean Haegue Yang.

Art from every angle

Other galleries that pick up on the more cutting-edge scene include A.L.I.C.E. (www.alicebxl.com), not to be confused with Aliceday (www.aliceday.be), a gallery in the same neighbourhood, which is also located above the gallery of Erna Hécey (www.ernahecey.com). All three show a different angle on the contemporary market. For a blend of the spectacular and intimate, meanwhile, try the arresting art within the classic interiors of Aeroplastics (www.aeroplastics.net). Or around the corner, in the Avenue Louis area, is the gallery of newcomer Frédéric Desimpel (www.galeriedesimpel.be), with his multi-disciplinary view of rising talent.

Other genres are also well represented in the Belgian capital. Pierre Marie Giraud (www.pierremariegiraud.com) is among the world’s most respected collectors of ceramics, and his fascination with unique pieces – as opposed to editions – puts him in a very special category. More affordable ceramics can be found at Puls (www.pulsceramics.com), while photography can be seen in the beautiful art nouveau interiors of Hannon House with Espace Photographique Contretype (www.contretype.org), and at the regular exhibitions at Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire (www.fillesducalvaire.com).

While Brussels might lack a permanent public collection of contemporary art, such as those seen in the museums of modern art across the world, the vitality of the independent gallery scene is staggering for a city of its size. The Belgians tend not to shout about their successes, and with artbrussels’ growing reputation and global reach, perhaps they don’t need to.

FR Centre d’exposition

La foire artbrussels, qui ouvre ses portes le mois prochain, est une parfaite introduction à la richesse de l’art contemporain exposé dans la capitale belge. Guy Dittrich s’y promène d’une galerie à l’autre.

En avril, la scène émergente de l’art contemporain à Bruxelles célèbrera la 28ème édition de la foire artbrussels. Bon nombre de galeries présentes viennent de l’extérieur de la Belgique, soulignant à la fois l’esprit cosmopolite de Bruxelles et l’éclectisme du sujet. “ S’il y a bien une tendance aujourd’hui dans l’art contemporain, c’est bien l’absence de tendances,” confie Karen Renders, directrice d’artbrussels. Et la foire représente justement la fantastique opportunité de comprendre cet univers, avec des œuvres de plus de 2 000 artistes en exposition.

La popularité de Bruxelles comme scène de l’art et des collectionneurs s’explique notamment par l’histoire artistique de la Belgique, qui compte des personnalités comme Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, James Ensor, René Magritte et Paul Delvaux. La grande tradition de collection dans le pays est peut-être aussi liée à l’accessibilité de Bruxelles, attirant une communauté d’artistes, qui à leur tour ont besoin des galeries et des collectionneurs. Des artistes et des galeries des quatre coins du globe semblent inéluctablement attirés vers Bruxelles, du photographe suisse Beat Streuli jusqu’à la galerie Gladstone de New York.

Au moment de la foire artbrussels, nombreuses sont également les galeries contemporaines à découvrir dans la ville. Parmi les plus réputées, on citera Xavier Hufkens (xavierhufkens.com), qui présente des artistes majeurs comme Willem de Kooning ainsi que le local Cris Brodahl. Le Musée Magritte (musee-magritte-museum.be) figure aussi au rang des ‘endroits incontournables’, tandis que le Wiels (wiels.org) représente un côté plus avant-garde de la scène de l’art bruxelloise. A.L.I.C.E. (alicebxl.com), Aliceday (aliceday.be) et Erna Hécey (ernahecey.com) comptent parmi les galeries underground, montrant différents angles du marché de l’art contemporain. Et étonnamment, pour une ville de la taille de Bruxelles, la vitalité de la scène des galeries indépendantes est impressionnante.

Informations utiles

Artbrussels: 23-26 avril, 12:00 à19:00, Brussels Expo Halls 1 & 3, Place de Belgique, 1 BE-1020 Bruxelles Heizel. Entrée 15 €, catalogue 25 €, ticket combo 35 €. Tapez artbrussels.be pour plus d’informations.

NL Tentoonstellingscentrum

De beurs artbrussels, die volgende maand plaatsvindt, is de perfecte introductie tot de rijkdom aan hedendaagse kunst die te bezichtigen is in de Belgische hoofdstad. Guy Dittrich gaat galerijhoppen

In april wordt de Brusselse, ontluikende hedendaagse kunstscène gevierd met de 28ste editie van de beurs artbrussels. Veel van de galerijen die aan bod komen, zijn van niet-Belgische afkomst, wat zowel weerspiegelt hoe kosmopoliet Brussel is als hoe eclectisch de aangelegenheid is. “Als er vandaag één trend is in de hedendaagse kunstwereld, dan is het wel dat er geen echte trend is,” zegt Karen Renders, tentoonstellingsdirecteur van artbrussels. En artbrussels is een geweldige opportuniteit om inzicht te krijgen in die wereld, met tentoongestelde werken van meer dan 2000 kunstenaars.

De populariteit van Brussel op het gebied van kunst en haar verzamelaars valt deels te verklaren door de Belgische artistieke stamboom met kunstenaars zoals Pieter Paul Rubens, Antoon van Dyck, James Ensor, René Magritte en Paul Delvaux. De sterke traditie van het land op het gebied van verzamelen kan ook te wijten zijn aan de betaalbaarheid van Brussel, wat een artistieke gemeenschap aantrekt, die op haar beurt galerijen en verzamelaars nodig heeft. Kunstenaars en galerijen van over de hele wereld lijken door Brussel aangetrokken te worden, van de Zwitserse fotograaf Beat Streuli tot de New Yorkse Gladstone Gallery.

Naast de beurs artbrussels zijn er vele hedendaagse galerijen te ontdekken. De meest gekende zijn Xavier Hufkens (xavierhufkens.com), die voorname kunstenaars zoals Willem de Kooning tentoonstelt, maar ook de lokale Cris Brodahl. Ook het Magritte Museum (museemagritte-museum.be) moet je gezien hebben, terwijl Wiels (wiels. org) de meer avant-garde kant van de Brusselse kunstscène laat zien. Andere avant-garde galerijen zijn onder andere A.L.I.C.E. (alicebxl.com), Aliceday (aliceday.be) en Erna Hécey (ernahecey. com), die de verschillende perspectieven op de hedendaagse kunstmarkt tonen. De levendigheid van de Brusselse onafhankelijke galerijwereld is onthutsend voor een stad van haar omvang.

Goed om weten

Artbrussels: van 23 tot 26 april, 12u00 tot 19u00, Brusselse Expo Hallen 1 & 3, Belgiëplein 1 BE-1020 Brussel, Heizel. Inkom €15, catalogus €25, combiticket €35. Surf naar artbrussels.be voor meer informatie.

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