The 40th edition of Art Brussels, one of the longest-running art fairs in Europe, concluded this Sunday to the satisfaction of many gallerists and collectors. The fair hosted 177 exhibitors (25 more than in 2023) from 30 countries and presented the work of approximately 800 artists.
“There was a great energy and level of engagement,” said Harlan Levey, founder of the eponymous Belgian gallery. “At the same time, I would note a strong sense of fair fatigue from the public and a changing culture within what visitors seek to gain from such events.” Attendees expressed weariness over the increase in size and frequency of art fairs, broadly.
Art Brussels 2024 occurred at the Brussels Expo, a striking Art Deco landmark built in 1933, located across from the city’s iconic Atomium sculpture. The fair attracted 26,000 visitors, including collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts from around the globe. And despite the growing fair fatigue, galleries managed to secure several significant sales with institutional and private collectors alike.
“By the close of Sunday, most of the works in the booth were sold,” said Levey. “Perhaps more importantly, we met many new people who seemed to deeply resonate with T.R. Ericsson’s work and practice. These included curators, scholars, and publishers, as well as private collectors and foundations. I found the overall quality of the fair and visitors a visible improvement from the last few editions.”
Here, we break down the reported sales at the fair.
- Almine Rech sold a Tom Wesselmann work for between €400,000–€450,000 ($429,000–$482,600); a Javier Calleja painting for between €160,000–€170,000 ($171,600–$182,300); a painting by Brian Calvin for €75,000–€80,000 ($80,400–$85,700); a painting by Roby Dwi Antono for €55,000–€60,000 ($58,900–$64,300); a painting by Jean Miotte for €25,000–€30,000 ($26,800–$32,100); a painting by Jean-Baptiste Bernadet for €30,000–€35,000 ($32,100–$37,500); two paintings by Youngju Joung for €70,000–€75,000 ($75,100–$80,400) and €30,000–€35,000 ($32,100–$37,500); a painting by Anthony Miler for €20,000–€25,000 ($21,400–$26,800); and a painting by Aurélie Gravas for €10,000–€15,000 ($10,700–$16,000).
- Galerie Greta Meert sold a large-scale work on paper by Anne Neukamp for €15,000 ($16,000); 10 to 15 works by Edith Dekyndt for €12,000–€25,000 ($12,800–$26,800) each; a work on paper from the series “Wildfire” by David Claerbout to a Swiss institutional collection for €32,000 ($34,100); a canvas by Nathalie Du Pasquier for €34,000 ($36,400); and works on canvas and marble by Pieter Vermeersch to Belgian and French collections priced between €20,000–€60,000 ($21,400–$64,300).
- Templon sold seven Jeanne Vicérial sculptures for €10,000–€36,000 each and works by Hans op de Beeck and Abdoulaye Konaté for between €50,000–€120,000 per piece.
- Galerie Lelong & Co., whose artist Marion Verboom won the Art for the City Prize, sold works by Jaume Plensa, David Nash, Pierre Alechinsky, Günther Förg, and Guy Yanai.
- Robert Grunenberg sold seven paintings by Filip Henin into private collections across Belgium.
- Keteleer Gallery sold 40 works in total, including an important work from Stephan Balkenhol and multiple pieces from Patrick Van Caeckenbergh.
- Galerie Ron Mandos sold their entire booth presentation, including a work by Koen Van den Broek.
- Richard Saltoun reported successful sales from his three-artist booth—featuring work by Myriam Bat Yosef, Carmen Dionyse, and Toyen—which won the fair’s Rediscovery Prize.
- QG Gallery sold works by Olivier Mosset and a floor sculpture by Richard Long.
- Whitehouse Gallery sold a sculpture by Warren Mulder to an important Belgian corporate collection and reported nearly selling out its works by Simona Mihaela Stoia.
