This year Art Brussels celebrated its 31^st edition. Known as one of the most important art fairs in the heart of Europe, the fair took place from Thursday (April the 18^th) to Sunday (April the 21^st) with the preview and vernissage on Wednesday (April the 17^th).

Photo by Suzana Vasilescu
Aeroplastic Gallery

More than 180 established and emerging galleries from 28 countries presented almost 2000 artists. With a new artistic director, Katerina Gregors, which managed to give a new vibe to the fair, Art Brussels had a very strong and exciting program of performance and a dedicated section for cinema, a specially designed structure featuring artists short videos and films, focus on issues related to the current social and political landscape and also a series of interesting discussions about the art market. These activities provided the necessary counterpart to the commercial activities of the fair.

Photo by Suzana Vasilescu
Julien Salaud

Also new to Art Brussels is Curator’s Programme where a number of important international curators have been invited to take a closer look to this year’s edition. Although commerce remains the first motivation for the participating galleries, the presence of the curators in the booths is both necessary and important for the artists present in the fair for the possibility to be seen and to be exhibited by the established curators.

This year’s edition proved to be very complex from many point of views.  The directors of the fair have rethought the manner in which to present art, because for the art fair to be good as a gallery is very important how these artists are presented.  In my opinion the curatorial way of thinking for this edition was very present in every booth. As Katerina Gregors says, she asked the galleries to think creatively about the design and presentation of their booths, and to think more adventurous and challenging ways of hanging the works.

For me was the very first time to participate to Art Brussels First Call with the gallery I run in Bucharest. This section is dedicated to only 14 galleries around the world invited to participate to the fair by the “First Call” Committee composed of curators, galleries and collectors. Here we showed a young emerging Belgian artist, Michiel Ceulers (whose show opened in our gallery in Bucharest last week and will be open till June 1^st).

Photo by Suzana Vasilescu
Michiel Ceulers

During the fair the entire city was flurring with all kind of events. The Gallery Night opened on Friday (19^th of April) the gates of 28 galleries here in Brussels and several important private collections. I was impressed by the presence of two Romanian artists like Dan Perjovschi who performed for 3 days in the art space “Sorry we’re closed”, and Marieta Chirulescu exhibited in a group show next to Kelly Schacht in Meessen de Clercq.

photo by Suzana Vasilescu
Installation view- Sorry We’re Closed

photo by Suzana Vasilescu
Francois Morellet

And this is me in the booth

By Suzana Vasilescu

Suzana Vasilescu is a gallerist running Mihai Nicodim Gallery a contemporary art gallery in Bucharest, Ro. She studied Art History at National University of Bucharest.

http://nicodimgallery.com/