This year Brussels Gallery Weekend goes big to celebrate its 15th anniversary

From 8-11 September 2022, 47 art galleries around Brussels will be open to the public as part of the Brussels Gallery Weekend. BGW were pioneers in this type of event and this year will be bringing the city alive with contemporary art for the fifteenth year in a row. This very special occasion has a special programme to match, with a unique main venue in the former printing plant of the National Bank of Belgium, the perfect setting for large format sculptures.

The Brussels Gallery Weekend has become a must in the calendar of professionals and other art lovers, an invitation to dive into the world of contemporary art creation in the heart of the capital of Europe. Throughout the long weekend, Brussels will be buzzing with exhibitions, performances, and installations. This fifteenth edition of BGW will have a record 47 galleries participating, and also a brand new concept: a central focal point in the prestigious surroundings of the Imprimerie – a former printing plant. And of course we mustn’t forget the traditional “off” programme, the “Generation Brussels” exhibition, different talks, and other surprises…

Brussels at the forefront of Gallery Weekends

Organised every year without fail since 2008, the Brussels Gallery Weekend is the second-oldest event of this type, the first being the Gallery Weekend in Berlin. Now, fifteen years after its launch, the Brussels festival is still leading the field. As explained by Albert Baronian, a Brussels gallery owner for almost fifty years, “Fifteen years ago, I was one of the first participants of the Brussels Gallery Weekend. Back then we were ten galleries participating; now there are over fifty of us. This demonstrates, more than ever, Brussels’ importance as a cornerstone of contemporary art and the galleries play a key role in boosting our capital’s influence.” A number of new initiatives have also developed over the years at BGW.

Some galleries such as Damien & The Love Guru were initially part of BGW’s “Off” programme, used for projects, as explained by the venue’s director Priya Shetty: “Our space has evolved into a gallery that represents artists, and now participates in the event’s main programme. Starting from this year, Damien & The Love Guru are part of the BGW committee, marking a real turning point for me as a gallery owner.”

“Thanks to its central location and the vitality of the local scene, Brussels plays a prominent role in the contemporary art world, and we seek to further the city’s influence with a spirit of sharing,” explains Sybille du Roy de Blicquy, director of the Brussels Gallery Weekend. “For example, we are piloting the Art Across Europe project, forging links between European art scenes, in partnership with cities such as Zurich, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Madrid, and Milan.” The non-profit that runs the event maintains very close links with the Brussels galleries, thanks, amongst other things, to the selection committee consisting of five gallery owners. This year, these are: Rodolphe Janssen (rodolphe janssen), Frédéric Mariën (Galerie Greta Meert), Priya Shetty (Damien & The Love Guru), Alexia Van Eyll (Nino Mier Gallery), and Ana Zoe Zijlstra (Galerie Xavier Hufkens).

Almine Rech, whose gallery opened in Brussels fifteen years ago, explains: “Since our gallery opened, I’ve had the chance to discover the passion that Belgian people have for contemporary art, in particular for emerging artists. It was always nice to see how the Belgian scene supports artists who are not established yet, as well as those who are, and also to witness the sustained and loyal way in which people build up their collections. It has been very important for us to participate in BGW since it launched, as many collectors visit from all over Belgium and neighbouring countries, and the event also attracts collectors from England and the United States. Since it started, we have been successfully participating in this weekend which opens the art season.”

L’Imprimerie: the perfect backdrop for the “Sculpture Factory” exhibition

This year, the heart of the Gallery Weekend can be found in the very centre of Brussels, in the former printing plant of the Belgian national bank. A modernist building measuring over 20,000 square metres, built in 1950 and and recently acquired for redevelopment by 3D Real Estate and Burco Europe. Made available on a temporary basis, this emblematic space will host various talks, a Duvel bar, Lillet and Ceder bars, and numerous projects and performances including the “Generation Brussels” and “Sculpture Factory” exhibitions. With the support of Art Brussels, the space will also host a unique selection of large format works put forward by participating galleries:

Arcade, with a sculpture by Maria Zahle

Baronian, with a work by Xavier Mary

Damien & The Love Guru, with a sculpture by Christiane Blattmann

Galerie DYS, with a 10-metre tapestry from KRJST Studio hanging from the ceiling

Harlan Levey Projects, with an installation from Haseeb Ahmed

Irène Laub with a work by Tatiana Wolska

Jaqueline Martins, with an installation by Ana Mazzei

Michel Rein, with a neon installation by Enrique Ramirez

Nino Mier, with a sculpture by Rafa Macarròn

Nosbaum Reding with a work by Christoph Meier

Schönfeld Gallery, with a tapestry by Thomas Renwart

Templon, with a work by Jeanne Vicerial

Waldburger Wouters, with a work by Jean Katambayi Mukendi

Opening a door into different universes of 125 artists

The rest of the Brussels Gallery Weekend programme can of course be found in the numerous participating galleries and institutions. When they venture through the doors of the rodolphe janssen gallery, visitors will be able to admire works by Louisa Gagliardi and Cornelia Baltes, while Greta Meert will be showing works by Jeff Wall. Stems Gallery will whisk visitors away into the “California vibe” of artist Aryo Toh Djojo, whose stylistic and figurative work evokes a nostalgic and shady memory featuring other-worldly figures. At the Béraudière gallery, visitors can explore a range of ideas evoked by representations of music in pictorial work, bringing together works on this lively theme by Georges Braque, Gen Paul, Pablo Picasso, or even Wassily Kandinsky, and Frantisek Kupka. Amongst the 47 galleries participating, a number of new venues will also welcome visitors this year: Belgian Gallery Brussels, la peau de l’ours, Marra\Nosco, Rossicontemporary, and Schönfeld Gallery. Those looking for Belgian artists can head to Meessen De Clercq where Benoit Platéus will present his second personal exhibition, featuring an important series of paintings resulting from his recent pictorial research. Visitors can also head to Michel Rein who will present work by Sébastien Bonin. Other Belgian artists who are represented include: Sophie Kuijken at Nathalie Obadia, Xavier Mary at Albert Baronian, Olivier Foulon at dépendance,… The full programme can be found on the event’s website, and printed programmes will also be available in the galleries and at the Imprimerie. Twelve Brussels institutions will also participate in the “off” programme during the weekend. For example, Fondation Cab, showing artists such as Nadia Guerroui, Adrien Lucca, Dimitri Mallet and Morgane Tschiember, with Gregory Lang as curator. Or LaVallée, who will show an exhibition curated by Seppe De Roo.

Generation Brussels!

Launched five years ago, with its first edition curated by Louis-Philippe Van Eeckhoutte, “Generation Brussels” has now become an essential part of the Brussels Gallery Weekend programme. The exhibition curator explains: “I am proud to see how the initiative that we launched in 2018 has made its mark on the Brussels art calendar, in connection with the Brussels Gallery Weekend. The exhibition has filled an important gap in the landscape and it is a pleasure to see Generation Brussels serve as a springboard for many artists to launch their careers.” For the fifth year running, the “Generation Brussels” exhibition will shine a spotlight on a range of artists who live and work in Brussels. Twelve artists including art students, young graduates up-and-coming names as well as some more experienced artists whose work explores the theme of ‘care’. “In a world controlled by visible and invisible forces – at times limiting, and sometimes leading to happy coincidences – the hand that gives, heals, or repairs, the word that soothes, or the ear that listens, nature reimagined or disguised, as well as space as a vessel for minuscule signs of change, can inspire surprising processes,” explains Maud Salembier art historian and curator of the exhibition. This year’s “Generation Brussels” exhibition will feature the following artists:

Anaïs Chabeur, Silja Hubert, Charlotte Lavandier, Veerle Melis, Maya de Mondragon, Collectif Muesli, Shen Özdemir, Jacques di Piazza, Diwana Schrauwen, Marion Séhier, Spa for spirits, Mary Szydlowska

On the Sunday evening, one of these artists will be awarded the Prix Centre/Komett, the first edition of a prize resulting from a collaboration between the Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles/Paris and the KOMMET association based in Lyon.

Bringing contemporary art to a younger audience

The Brussels Gallery Weekend is also an opportunity to attract new audiences to contemporary art. “It can sometimes be a bit daunting to go into a gallery that you’re not familiar with,” explains Sybille du Roy. “The Brussels Gallery Weekend can help people overcome their inhibitions and create a buzz around contemporary art. In particular, we collaborate with ‘L’avenir’ youth center to organise visits to galleries and studios throughout the year.” The artwork made by the young people of L’Avenir youth club will also be on show at the Imprimerie, alongside the show by the artists of “Generation Brussels”. Other collaborations are also planned, including talks from Text Zur Kunst and the Observatoire de l’art contemporain. We must also mention the innovative partnership with the PINSL platform which will allow visitors to discover the world of NFT’s (unique tokens on the blockchain which represent the digital original of an physical artwork) A great way to launch the new arts year in style and beauty!

Participating Galleries

AEROPLASTICS TBC

Almine Rech (“ Maps” – Gerasimos Floratos): The exhibition of Gerasimos Floratos is in two parts: an exhibition of new paintings in Brussels and an exhibition of new sculptures in the studio of Pablo Picasso in Boisgeloup (Gisors, France);

Arcade (“Turn Turn Turn” – Maria Zahle): Zahle will present sculptures, works on paper and woven works, using vegetable dye and weaving as a way to focus on materiality, creating a tactile experience for the viewer ;

Archiraar Gallery (“Story of the Wind” – Roman Moriceau): For his third solo exhibition at the gallery, Roman Moriceau continues his research on ecology and more particularly on recovery and recycling. Titled after the music of Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, Story of the Wind is a meditation on the reuse of abandoned and neglected materials;

Ballon Rouge (“Meaning in the off hours”- Sofia Pashaei) Ballon Rouge is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of Sofia Pashaei (b. 1989, Sweden), consisting of a new series of paintings conceived during residencies in Iceland and Portugal in 2022 ;

Baronian (“Black Hole Sun” – Xavier Mary): New series of Buddha sculptures in colored aluminum – as well as a series of wall sculptures made of large tires and neon lights (“uncontrolled bodies” – Toufan Hosseiny): Expo en face: series of different sizes of embroidered pieces, hung in the space as well as on the wall ;

Belgian Gallery Brussels (“Corps à coeur” – Priscilla Beccari): the artist in a singular staging mixed with drawings and installations, delivers a dreamlike universe in fragility;

Bernier / Eliades Gallery (Monique Van Genderen): a new series of abstract paintings in large and smaller formats ;

C L E A R I N G (Meriem Bennani) ;

Damien & The love Guru (“there in spirit”- Jasmin Werner ): For her second solo exhibition at Damien & The Love Guru, Jasmin Werner reinforces her series on the work of expatriate Filipino workers in the Emirates. Observations of private environments in the United Arab Emirates are juxtaposed with architectural models for a public sculpture to be unveiled in Dubai in October 2022 ;

Dauwens & Beernaert Gallery (“Sturm und Drank”- Marco De Sanctis & Joost Pauwaert ):

dépendance (“Les hommes du pier”- Olivier Foulon): dépendance is pleased to present Olivier Foulon’s third solo exhibition at the gallery;

didier Claes (“The 8 Mile Wall” – Fabrice Monteiro);

Galeria Jaqueline Martins (“We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live” – pedro frança & Lucy Stein): a dialogue between Brazilian artist pedro frança (*1984) and British artist Lucy Stein (*1979). The exhibition focuses on the painting and drawing practice of both positions but also presents works in clay and ceramics and extends them into a spatial framework) ;

Galerie de la Béraudière (“Music in Painting” ): The gallery wishes to measure the diversity of ideas that can be suggested by the presence of music in pictorial works by Georges Braque, Gen Paul, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Frantisek Kupka, to name but a few, will be gathered around this vibrant theme. Throughout the ages, music and painting have been closely linked to human life, and music is undoubtedly one of the arts that has most inspired painters, both figurative and abstract.

Galerie DYS (“Eldorado” – Annabelle Guetatra & Etienne Pottier): A duet exhibition that brings together the drawings of Annabelle Guetatra and the ceramics of Etienne Pottier ;

Galerie Felix Frachon (Nandita Kumar);

Galerie Greta Meert (Jeff Wall) : Galerie Greta Meert is pleased to present a solo exhibition of works by Jeff Wall. Comprising both new and earlier photographs spanning the artist’s career, this exhibition is Wall’s first presentation at the gallery since 1991. From documentary and ‘near documentary’ photographs to ‘cinematographic’ pictures, Jeff Wall explores the possibilities of picture-making through his prolonged observation of everyday life. His approach to the autonomous form of the photographic tableaux continues to expand the notion of photography as art.

Galerie La Forest Divonne (“L’Un et l’autre” – Bernadette Chéné): A recent set of sculptures in wood or metal developing the minimal and sensitive vocabulary of Bernadette Chéné’s works;

Galerie Nathalie Obadia (Sophie Kuijken) ;

Gladstone Gallery ( Cecilia Edefalk);

Harlan Levey Projects (“Tom and Sue” by TR Ericsson) : Two portraits are at the heart of the exhibition: one of Sue and the other of Tom. One shows a young woman aging, the other expresses a young man searching for his voice like her. Sue’s portrait consists of a 7-volume letter book entitled “ALL MY LOVE ALWAYS NO MATTER WHAT”, which illustrates each written or recorded recording of Susan Robinson’s voice. Tom’s portrait, entitled “SAD YOUNG MAN ON A TRAIN”, consists of 107 paintings done between 1992 and 2002, just before Sue’s death. When combined, they produce a comprehensive portrait of filial love, grief, joy and existential crisis. The exhibition also features the first painting by TR Ericsson since 2002. (“Consistencies” by Sean Crossley): consistencies presents a body of paintings that incorporate notions of commerce, coherence and segmentation into the subject matter and form of the works themselves. ;

Hopstreet Gallery (“Essentials” – Jan van Munster): We will present an iconic work from the 80° and some recent neon works about one subject: energy.

Irène Laub Gallery (“Le Pas Suspendu”- Younes Baba-Ali / Lucile Bertrand / Eirene Efstathiou / Michèle Magema et Pedro A.H. – Paixão) : The Irène Laub gallery presents a multidisciplinary group show on the theme of borders;

Jan Mot (“‘Painted Ceiling and Floor” – Andrea Büttner): Andrea Büttner will present a painted ceiling (oil on canvas) and a painted floor (“Maps of the Middle East (1942 – 1969)” – Sven Augustijnen) : a solo exhibition which was first presented at the Kunsthal Aarhus (DK) in 2020 and which will be shown at Lempertz’ exhibition space near the gallery from 8 till 18 September.

LA MAISON DE RENDEZ-VOUS

La Patinoire Royale / Galerie Valérie Bach “Vita Extremis” – Lucy ORTA & Jorge ORTA / “In perpetuity”- Trong Gia Nguyen / “Pourquoi les Nuages pleurent-ils?” – Léo Orta

La peau de l’ours (“The brightness of dandelions falls asleep in the blue of silence”- Mariano Angelotti): The exhibition places the viewer directly in the position of a flâneur. From the simple fence that separates two plots of land, to the weeds that intrude into the gaps left by a cracked concrete, Mariano Angelotti likes to let his gaze linger on the things that have become indifferent to us;

MANIERA (“Piip” – Harald Thys);

MARRA\NOSCO (“3901” – Alberto Casari / Martina Quesada) 3901’ brings together a selection of works specifically conceived for the exhibition by Alberto Casari (Peru, 1955) and Martina Quesada (Argentina, 1987), that propose an approach to Latin America’s own complex history of abstraction and its wide and diverse roots. A series of pieces of different sizes and on different media -as wood, paper or fabric among others-, that will hung in the gallery space and on its walls.

MARUANI MERCIER (“From time to A Time” – Johnson Eziefula): MARUANI MERCIER is pleased to announce the exclusive European representation of Nigerian artist Johnson Eziefula, who will have his debut exhibition entitled From Time to a Time with the gallery, opening during Brussels Gallery Weekend.

Meessen De Clercq (Benoit Platéus): For his second solo exhibition at the gallery, Benoit Platéus presents an important series of paintings that are the fruit of his recent pictorial research. Through new subjects and formats, he continues the exploration undertaken during his retrospective at WIELS and brilliantly demonstrates his ability to deconstruct images of the world around us.

Mendes Wood DM (“SLOW WATER”- Seulgi / “Thus to sleep is sweeter to wake”- Miranda Fengyuan Zhang) : Mendes Wood DM is pleased to present Seulgi Lee’s and Miranda Fengyuan Zhang’s first solo exhibitions in Belgium with new work produced especially for this occasion.

MONTORO12 GALLERY (“Break” – Serena Fineschi & Loredana Longo): A new body of work by the two artists recently exhibited at the Centrale d’art contemporain, there will be sculptures, videos, paintings and mixed media works on both floors of our gallery.

Michel Rein (“Golden Ear”- Sebastien Bonin);

NINO MIER GALLERY BRUSSELS (Anke Weyer/ Michael Cline): a series of recent works by abstract painter Anke Weyer’s. Born in Karlsruhe, Germany (1974), she lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. The upcoming exhibition of Michael Cline (b. 1973 in FL; lives and works in New York, NY) at Galerie Nino Mier in Brussels will feature a selection of recent paintings and works on paper by the artist.

Nosbaum Reding (Christoph Meier): Christoph Meier will present a new series of headwear and barn finds ;

Pierre Marie Giraud (“Dream of Fire”- Ritsue Mishima): Dream of Fire: a new exhibition with glassworks by Japanese artist Ritsue Mishima.

rodolphe janssen (“Around the Clock” – Louisa Gagliardi / “Waggle Dance” – Cornelia Baltes);

Rossicontemporary (Louis de cordier / David Quinn);

Schönfeld Gallery: (“Intertwined”- Group show) For Schönfeld Gallery curator Marie Mees braids her years of experience with endless threads and fibres intuitively into a fresh selection of 13 artists each of them linked to textile in their own way. (“Under their stars” – Lisa Ijeoma): In the solo show at the gallery, Lisa Ijeoma will present hand-woven textile patchworks and Jacquard weavings about feelings of displacement and belonging.

Sorry We’re Closed : (“My Pleasure”- Josh Sperling): its second solo exhibition by artist Josh Sperling, spanning two floors of the gallery. The exhibition builds on key motifs in Sperling’s work – shaped canvases, site-specific installations, and composite collage paintings – with increased complexity and ambition. In addition, the Ithaca-based artist will present for the first time a new series of 3 pieces of 23k gold jewelry made by the legendary silversmith Atelier Hugo and edited by Sorry We’re Closed Gallery. (“Ceramics”- Jennifer Rochlin) In the Project Room, Jennifer Rochlin, born in 1968, living and working in Los Angeles, California, will present 12 of her new ceramics.

Spazio Nobile (“Season XXIII – Subtle Energy”- Amy Hilton): In her solo exhibition at Spazio Nobile, Amy Hilton investigates the “subtle energy” that awakens from the five cosmic elements – earth, water, fire, air, and ether – and the sacred unity of self and cosmos through an immersive installation of hand-blown glass, stained glass, and stone sculptures as well as ink, pencil, dry pastel, and watercolor drawings.

Stems Gallery (Aryo Toh Djojo): The next exhibition at the Stems gallery of the artist Aryo Toh Djojo, a universe “California vibe” whose figurative stylistic of the artist brings us in a nostalgic memory in the middle of the darkness where individuals from elsewhere come to visit.

TEMPLON (“Infinite Arrows”- Prune Nourry) : “Building on the success of Project Phoenix, a highly acclaimed immersive solo exhibition in 2021, Prune Nourry takes over the Brussels space of Galerie Templon this autumn with a brand new proposal, Infinite Arrows, which explores in depth the symbolism of the arrow, which has been an integral part of Nourry’s artistic universe for nearly four years.”

Waldburger Wouters (“f’low”- Jean Katambayi Mukendi): In addition to being an artist, Jean Katambayi Mukendi (b. 1974, Lubumbashi; lives and works in Lubumbashi) is also passionate about technology, mechanics, geometry and electricity. In his work, he combines influences from everyday life with experience gained from his training as an electrician. He creates fragile and complex installations driven by sophisticated electrical mechanisms. His technological discoveries are part of a search for solutions to the social problems of present-day Congolese society.

Xavier Hufkens (Joe Bradley / Frank Walter): The first Belgian retrospective devoted to the work of the painter, sculptor, writer, philosopher and true Renaissance man of Antigua, Frank Walter (1926-2009).

12 Off Program

Ada Ventura (“Friends from tomorrow”- Florence Laprat) the artist will present its 12th exhibition “Friends from tomorrow”, a body of works spanning from drawing, painting and sculpture.

La Centrale (“This is what you came for” – Els Dietvorst & BARЯA MOVEMENT) : The exhibition is conceived as an encounter and an invitation. A myriad of mediums including sculpture, installation, video and performance will introduce you to the universe of Els Dietvorst, in which she is always looking for connections with people and creates places for encounters. (“Alien”- Oussama Tabti ) : Oussama Tabti’s work questions hermetic geopolitics, made up of impassable borders and enclosed cults. (“Expecting my mind to be in a better shape”- Axel Korban): Expecting my mind to be in a better shape addresses the foundations of Axel Korban’s work, which in recent years has been devoted to the creation of computer-modeled 3D exhibitions, mixing real places filled with virtual objects, and virtual places populated with real objects.

Fondation Cab (“On the Lookout”- Nadia Guerroui, Ann Veronica Janssens, Labau, Adrien Lucca, Dimitri Mallet, Luisa Mota, Morgane Tschiember, Pieter Vermeersch ): An exhibition that addresses the fundamental issue of colour variation with mainly in situ works by emerging and established artists.

Cloud Seven: Collection & more: On one hand, many works in the collection explore reduced aesthetics with a great sensitivity to humble materials. On the other hand, distinctive set of sober, geometric and monochromatic abstractions, such as the grid, are present. Themes of delegation, process, chance, combinatory, poetic language that critically describe the oddities in the world are considered in a large portion of the collection. The main body of the collection is made up of international emerging and established artists working in different styles.

Globe Aroma (“On Proximity”- Egoo Dalas, Tengo “Tamila” Eminashvili, Erik Gonzales, Maria Muehombo, Mirra Markhaeva, Norah El Maknouzi, Sahra Abdikarin, Fareed Aziz, Andy Wanabo, Youssef Moukil) : 10 artists, to collaborate together and produce an exhibition, celebrating proximity and thinking together our collective futures, mixing together their practices.

JAP (Tom Król) In his painterly works, Król deals with the aesthetic of everyday life, signs, gestures and symbols. His paintings open up questions about the interfaces of painterly discourses, space and human resources such as creativity, solidarity and friendship.

La Loge (Mathieu Kleyebe Abonnenc) Mathieu Kleyebe Abonnenc explores areas often neglected by (post)colonial history through art, research, publishing, and programming. His work is characterized by a diversity of media (sound, video, text, drawing, sculpture, collections of objects) and deals with the concepts of oblivion and exploitation, as well as the violent nature of official narratives and archives.

La Vallée (“Sit Back, Relax & Enjoy the Apocalypse”- Seppe De Roo ) will show five monumental paintings on the right side of the stairs of the building, each measuring 2 by 2 meters. These are part of the series “The Ascetics”.

Musée Juif de Belgique (“Why do you stand at the door?” – Nikolay Karabinovych) “Why do you stand at the door?” is a carte blanche given to the Ukrainian artist Nikolay Karabinovych (°1988, Odesa), who puts his videos, sounds and installations in dialogue with works from the 1920s-1930s preserved in the Yiddish library of the Jewish Museum in Belgium.

SB34 (Amélie Bertrand, Kapwani Kiwanga, Nicolas Lamas, Jan Robert Leegten, Rafael Roozendaal, Tabor Robak,…) The exhibition takes postmodernism as the starting point of the visual and philosophical condition. Postmodernism mixes old and new forms and combines elements from popular and elite culture.

WIELS (“Instrumental”- Shimabuku & “Double Exposition”- Didier Vermeiren ) Can art be instrumental or useful? Shimabuku’s work gives this recurring question an absurd twist while reaffirming the essential role of art at the heart of the imagination. “Double Exposition” presents recent sculptures and photographs from the last four decades.

10N: Michiel Ceulers For Chapter 10 “Hearsay” at 10N Brussels, Leo Gabin will present work from the various aspects of their practice, including painting, sculpture and video in this modernist villa.

SAVE THE DATE

8-11 September 2022

Brussels Gallery Weekend