BRUSSELS.- Art Brussels announced the participants of its 35th edition in 2017, which brings together 142 galleries from 28 countries in three main sections. Art Brussels’ International and Discovery Committees have selected a total of 33 newcomers.
PRIME will comprise 109 established galleries representing internationally known artists. Exciting newcomers to the section include Gallery Baton (Seoul), David Kordansky Gallery (Los Angeles), Pearl Lam Galleries (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore), ProyectosMonclova (Mexico City) and Skopia Art Contemporain (Genève) next to important returning galleries such as Bernier/Eliades (Athens), Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Les Moulins and Havana), dépendance (Brussels), Xavier Hufkens (Brussels), Galerie Lelong (Paris, New York), KOW (Berlin), Galerie Krinzinger (Vienna), Galleria Massimo Minini (Brescia), New Art Centre (Salisbury), Almine Rech Gallery (Paris, Brussels, London, New York) and Tina Kim (New York).
In line with the fair’s ethos From Discovery to Rediscovery, the Committees play a significant role in developing Art Brussels’ existing ‘discovery profile’. Joining the Committees are two new members appointed by the fair, each with a curatorial background: Tania Doropoulos, Artistic Director at Timothy Taylor in London and New York, and Eva Birkenstock, Director of the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf.
DISCOVERY will feature 27 galleries showing recently created work (2014-2017) from artists that are not yet known to a wider public, including Babak Golkar (Edel Assanti, London); Erika Hock (Cosar HMT, Düsseldorf); Masimba Hwati (SMAC Gallery, Stellenbosch, Cape Town and Johannesburg); Stanislas Lahaut (Dauwens & Beernaert Gallery, Brussels); Annaïk Lou Pitteloud (Barbara Seiler, Zürich); Jana Schröder (MIER Gallery, Los Angeles); Monika Stricker (Clages, Köln); and Emmanuel Van der Auwera (Harlan Levey Projects (Harlan Levey Projects Gallery, Brussels).
REDISCOVERY will feature 9 galleries. It will be dedicated to art from the period between 1917 and 1987 and present important artists from the historical avant-garde that have been under-estimated, overlooked, or unduly forgotten. Artists such as Alfred Basbous (Sophia Contemporary Gallery, London); Jean Messagier (Bernard Ceysson, Luxembourg, Paris, Genève, St-Etienne); Ryuji Tanaka (Axel Vervoordt Gallery, Antwerp, Hong Kong); Raoul Ubac & Reinhoud d'Haese (Laurentin Gallery, Brussels, Paris); and Léon Wuidar (Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels) will be put in the spotlight.
Art Brussels continues to place emphasis on the individual presentation of artists, with 17 galleries each presenting a single artist in the SOLO section. Exhibitors include Xavier Hufkens (Brussels) with David Altmejd; Galerie Daniel Templon (Brussels, Paris) with Omar Ba; Meessen De Clercq (Brussels) with Benoît Maire; Ron Mandos (Amsterdam) with Mohau Modisakeng; David Kordansky Gallery (Los Angeles) with Jon Pestoni, Galerie Nathalie Obadia (Brussels - Paris) with Laure Prouvost; and Sorry We’re Closed (Brussels) with Josh Sperling.
Anne Vierstraete, Managing Director of Art Brussels says: “The applications to Art Brussels this year have been of an exceptionally high standard: exclusive, original and highly distinctive, in other words, wholly in line with our concept for the fair. We were delighted to see a high level of renewal within the list of galleries who applied, and to have already experienced such high enthusiasm for the fair ahead of our promising 35th edition.”
For the second time, the fair takes place at the historical location Tour & Taxis, bathed with natural light and situated in Brussels’ inner city area. The scenography of the fair, together with an optimised floor plan will again be entrusted to Tom Postma Design.
A new brand profile from international firm Base Design offers the fair a refreshed visual identity for its 35th edition. Created in close collaboration with Art Brussels team, it re-affirms the fair’s positioning as a driving force and facilitator for culture in Brussels. More than simply a new logo, the new identity includes a unique typeface made for Art Brussels and will be present in all print and digital communication tools and on site. More details are to be announced soon in 2017.
Base Design is a leading international branding firm specializing in brand strategy and identity. Base was founded in Brussels, Belgium in 1993 and maintains studios in New York, Brussels, Geneva and Los Angeles.
