BRUSSELS.- The organisers of the BRAFA Art Fair announced the list of their confirmed exhibitors for the upcoming fair, which will take place from January 23rd-30th at the Tour & Taxis venue in Brussels. There will be 134 participants from 14 countries, providing a good balance between established partner galleries and newcomers, all with the same ambition of presenting the finest pieces from their respective categories, whether ancient, modern or contemporary art.

As with every edition of the fair, BRAFA will offer an innovative selection, especially by means of the new participating galleries. The newcomers fall into two categories: those who had already participated in the “BRAFA in the Galleries 2021” initiative (9 galleries), and those for whom this will be their first participation (another 9 galleries). These 18 new participants represent 13.5% of the galleries at the fair, a limited rate of renewal which bears witness both to the event’s stability and the high regard in which it is held by its regular participants.

The category of new exhibitors from “BRAFA in the Galleries 2021” includes:

• Artimo Fine Arts (Brussels - Sculpture from 1800-1950, mostly marble and bronze from Belgian artists);

• Arts et Autographes (Paris - autographs, manuscripts and modern art paintings);

• Dr. Lennart Booij Fine Art & Rare Items (Amsterdam - Art Deco, 20th century design, with a strong focus on René Lalique and Pablo Picasso);

• Galerie Hadjer (Paris – antique and modern tapestries);

• Gallery Nao Masaki (Nagoya – Japanese contemporary art, antiques and crafts);

• Galeria Jordi Pascual (Barcelona – modern and contemporary art);

• Tenzing Asian Art (San Francisco – Himalayan art);

• van der Meij Fine Arts (Amsterdam – 19th century Northern Europe art, especially paintings and works on paper);

• Maurice Verbaet Gallery (Knokke-Heist – Belgian post-war art).

Having exhibited at the Huberty & Breyne gallery in January, Dr. Lennart Booij, from Amsterdam, declared: “For me, BRAFA is the best fair in Northern Europe. Thanks to a combination of refinement and innovation, the participants reinforce one other, so that there is always something new for visitors to discover. I hope to be able to contribute with my collection of the work of the French goldsmith and glassmaker René Lalique (1860-1945) and with the ceramics and graphic works by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). These pieces were very well-received during BRAFA in the Galleries, and I am really looking forward to showing them in the context of a real BRAFA!”

The new participants ‘2022’, for their part, include the galleries:

• Giammarco Cappuzzo Fine Art (London – Old Master paintings);

• Collectors Gallery (Brussels – artists’ and designers’ jewellery and objects from the 20th and 21st century);

• Thomas Deprez Fine Arts (Brussels – Fin-de-Siècle Belgian art, 1880-1914);

• Miriam Di Penta Fine Arts (Rome – Old Master paintings and fine arts, 16th-19th century, mostly Italian);

• Igra Lignum Antiquités (Marnand – French furniture and works of art of the 18th century and Empire);

• Galerie Kevorkian (Paris – ancient near Eastern, Islamic and Indian art);

• MDZ Art Gallery (Knokke-Heist – post-war and contemporary art);

• Nosbaum Reding (Luxembourg/Brussels – contemporary art);

• Benjamin Proust Fine Art (London – Old Master sculptures and works of art).

Amongst these, Corinne Kevorkian, who runs the eponymous gallery based in Paris: “It is not our policy to participate in numerous fairs, but rather to concentrate on the best ones. Over the last few years, I have noted the positive, qualitative development of BRAFA, and I meet many Belgian collectors who are passionate about archaeology. It is therefore with great pleasure that we will be presenting a selection of pieces of Islamic art, especially Persian, but also miniatures, two specialities which I particularly love!”.

One of the most loyal exhibitors, Christian Vrouyr, whose gallery has taken part without fail in all of the fairs with the exception of the very first one in 1956, has also been the Secretary-General since 2006 (a mandate which has just been renewed for 3 years). This characteristic, unique amongst his colleagues, means that he is particularly well-placed to appreciate the development of the event: “I think that BRAFA’s longevity and success is due to its capacity to renew itself whilst respecting its own traditions. It is open to new trends and specialities that appear on the market, without turning its back on the historical, more traditional disciplines. Its integrative capacity is its richness and greatest strength!”.

Regarding the geographical sharing of its participants, BRAFA remains chiefly European, which is an asset at a time when extracontinental visitors are proving slow to return to major international events. The country breakdown is as follows (in decreasing order): Belgium (48), France (41), Great Britain (15), Italy (10), Switzerland (9), the Netherlands (6), Germany, USA (4), Monaco (3), Spain (2), Greece, Hungary, Japan, Luxembourg (1).

In terms of the periods represented, the goal of maintaining a balance between the representatives of ancient, modern and contemporary art remains, and forms a solid base for the various artistic disciplines on display, in line with the fair’s universal and eclectic identity.

With the health crisis globally improving and conditionally enabling the organisation of major events again, the organisers’ aim is to offer a classic, on-site BRAFA, whilst strictly respecting the measures which will still be in place.

“I have noticed a great impatience on behalf of all the participants, an impatience which is also to be found amongst many loyal visitors who are eager to rediscover their favourite event”, noted Beatrix Bourdon, the Managing Director of the fair. “After such a long break, many people feel the need to get their bearings, in a way, to pick things up where they left off, especially in terms of the choices for setting up and arranging the stands. We will therefore be offering as normal a BRAFA as possible, both for the exhibitors and the visitors. But we will of course be keeping a very close watch on the developing situation!”.