BRAFA Art Fair: Belgian heritage under the spotlight at prestigious Brussels salon

For its 71st edition, the BRAFA Art Fair focuses on Belgian heritage in honour of the King Baudouin Foundation’s 50th anniversary at Brussels Expo from 25 January to 1 February.

Belgium’s philanthropy institution boasts an extended stand for the occasion, showing off recent acquisitions and other heritage masterpieces it has safeguarded for the nation.

The foundation is joined by 147 galleries from 19 countries in presenting an array of exceptional pieces. It is the eclecticism and quality of these works that fuels BRAFA’s ranking as one of the leading art fairs in Europe.

Among the 20 different specialities on show are Old Master paintings, ceramics, antique and designer furniture, tribal and Asian art, archaeological exhibits, silverware and jewellery, as well as modern and contemporary art.

With more than 72,000 collectors, curators and art enthusiasts attending last year’s fair, organisers have re-imagined the fair’s layout and immersive scenography, as well as extending the catering facilities, to welcome the eager public.

Visitors are greeted on arrival by a dreamy sunset backdrop that serves as a colourful motif throughout the elegant exhibition areas. Each stand is a lush vitrine of art and objects that along with the plush carpeting, floral decor and champagne bars, create the heady appeal of Belgium’s premium art fair.

BRAFA is also an important commercial enterprise that provides galleries with a significant percentage of their annual revenue. Some 100 experts have verified the 12-15,000 objects on display and the fair’s success is founded not only on its reputation for rare and quality pieces, but Belgium’s ever flourishing tradition for collecting art.

First to the King Baudouin Foundation stand that occupies a prime corner space. Divided into different areas, its displays are testament to the breadth of the organisation’s objective. As its head of heritage and culture programming, Melanie Coisne, explained, the foundation’s initial mission of making “society better for everyone” has been extended to prevent Belgian artworks leaving the country. “The KBF was given the mandate to try and keep native art here and make it accessible to everyone,” she said.

In practice, this involves managing philanthropic funds set up by private individuals and collaborating with public institutions and operating with a budget last year of €1m. “We’re like a matchmaker,” she concludes, adding that the foundation has been present at BRAFA for the past 20 years to “showcase philanthropic stories.”

Among its latest acquisitions on show are a minimalist Art Deco rug by Elisabeth De Saedeleer. “She was an arts and crafts pioneer,” pointed out Coisne, who also underlined the importance of presenting female artists.

Another new purchase is a painting by Wiliam Key, an often overlooked Flemish Renaissance artist of the. The monumental panel Lamentation of Christ with Donors, which immerses viewers in the lie of 16th century Antwerp, will find a permanent home at M Leuven later this year.

From medieval works to contemporary creations, other notable objects on display are an intricate piece of Brussels lace in gauze stitch, one of the scintillating pieces of gold and silver treasure from the Oignies collection and a Holy Blood ensign from Bruges. More modern pieces include sa striking bracelet by Belgian artist Pol Bury, renowned for his kinetic sculptures, and a Pop Art painting by Namur artist Evelyne Axell. As ever, the foundation hosts a series of lectures about pieces from its collection, as well as intimate concerts. Elsewhere, at The China House and the Silk Roads Countries stand, a scale model of the Chinese Palace in Laeken is finally on show to the public.

For visitors passionate about modern and contemporary art, highlights include Brussels Almine Rech’s kinetic sculpture Crow (pictured) by internationally-renowned Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck. Another Belgian artist, Pierre Alechinsky, is amply represented at numerous stands, underlining the extent of his artistic innovation.

On the international front, Galerie Boulakia features a fine painting by Spanish artist Joan Miro, Des figures devant la lune. The Stern Pissarro gallery from London, making its 10th trip to BRAFA – the only international fair it attends – returns with a stand studded with art treasures, including Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama’s iconic Visionary Wave Crest.

The fair is equally an opportunity to delve into ancient art. De Jonckheere is a familiar name here, presenting Pieter the Younger’s Le Paiement de la dime, amid other antique works. Colnaghi gallery shows Flemish Baroque painter Michaelina Wautier’s recently rediscovered work Diogene (pictured). Ahead of a major exhibition of her work in London, the gallery is hoping the painting will stir interest among BRAFA visitors.

Specialising in fin-de-siècle and symbolist works by Belgian artists, Thomas Deprez Fine Arts possesses a particularly fine sculpture by George Lemme as well as other notable pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sumptuous design and period furniture always add to the visual appeal of BRAFA. A stunning pair of Viennese armchairs at Florian Kolhammer typify the quality of the country’s applied arts scene, while colourful modernist interiors from a number of Belgian and international galleries offer a unique immersion into 20th century design excellence.

There are also surprise displays such as Artimo Fine Arts’ A Porcelain Garden (pictured) by Netherlands-based Russian artist Anna Volkova. Her delicate porcelain floral works enrich a contemporary-designed orangery that is a tribute to Sèvres china patron Madame de Pompadour. Its centrepiece is a circular planter installation filled with rows of textured flowers, each carefully chosen to create a timeless and symbolic piece embodying the fragility of life.

BRAFA Art Fair
25 January to 1 February
Brussels Expo
Place de Belgique 1
Laeken

Photos: (main image) ©Sarah Crew; BRAFA ©Olivier Pirard; King Baudouin Foundation ©Olivier Pirard; Elisabeth De Saedeleer carpet in Art Deco style ©Sarah Crew; King Baudouin Foundation ©Olivier Pirard; Hans Op de Beeck, Crow, ©Studio of the Artist; Michaelina Wautier Diogenes reading ©Colnaghi; Galleria Robertaebasta ©Sarah Crew; Artimo Fine Arts’ A Porcelain Garden ©Sarah Crew