contemporary art

Art Brussels, Apr 25-27

11 April 2014

From April 25 to 27, Brussels will host the 32nd edition of its annual contemporary art fair, Art Brussels. A private, invitation-only preview will take place during the day on April 24, followed by a vernissage from 5pm to 10pm that night.

The sweeping art wait will host over 190 galleries from all over the world, featuring as many as 2,000 artists, ranging from those with international recognition to promising young talents showing at the fair for the first time. Each year, the fair’s visual campaign is entrusted to one artist, who will work to highlight the city of Brussels as an upcoming art city; this year, the honour falls of Brussels-based photographer Jimmy Kets

Portrait series. Jimmy Kets. Image courtesy artist.
Portrait series. Jimmy Kets. Image courtesy artist.

Amongst the 190 international galleries are Berlin’s Aanant & Zoo, Paris’s Galerie Samy Abraham, Brussels’s Alice Gallery, Riga’s Alma, as well as Amsterdam’s Galerie Paul Andriesse, each bringing in a few exceptional artists from their roster. **

For a complete list of galleries and artists participating, take a look at the official art fair lineup, and for the fair program, go here. To find out event details and contact information, visit the aqnb event listing. **

Image header: ‘V’ (2009) by Kris Salmanis. Image courtesy Alma Gallery. 

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In a Garage Near You

19 October 2012

Slick has come a long way in six years. A gradual déménagement from the 19th arrondissement to the fashionable Marais district represents the shift in focus of this annual Paris-based art fair: Slick’s street art roots are barely visible aside from the urban aesthetic of new host space Le Garage. Now it’s about providing a good slice of the international contemporary art scene, although Paris does dominate this year. It’s become the exhibition for exhibitions, a sort of trade fair but with more air kisses. Around 40 galleries, including both newcomers and established names, have their chance to show a selection of pieces or promote one artist in particular.

Tuesday afternoon was the opening reception for the Press. After waving my badge, I nearly walked straight into the first display, and one that I would later choose as a favourite.

Sentimental Negotiations (detail) by Joël Andrianomearisoa (image via Joël Andrianomearisoa)
Sentimental Negotiations (detail) by Joël Andrianomearisoa (image via Joël Andrianomearisoa)

“Sentimental Negotiation” is a multi-media installation by Joël Andrianomearisoa composed of 1600 black pocket mirrors mounted on a wall alongside one another (dimensions 4.65m X 2.21m). The fragmented reflexions give the viewer a glimpse into a surreal alternate reality, as well as a distorted image of oneself. The hundreds of mirrors, open at different angles, create an unexpected texture, an almost organic textile. My instinctive impulse was to run my hand over the mirrors, snapping them shut like a game of Guess Who, but the ever-watchful security guards made me think again. Continue reading In a Garage Near You

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