BRUSSELS.- Art Brussels announced the participants of its 50th anniversary edition, which brings together 147 galleries from 32 countries in three sections: 33 in DISCOVERY, 114 in PRIME and REDISCOVERY as well as 21 SOLO presentations. Art Brussels’ International and Discovery Committees have selected a total of 36 newcomers and 111 returning from previous years.

Anne Vierstraete, Managing Director of Art Brussels says: “In celebration of the fair’s 50th anniversary this year, we are going back to our roots with a strong display of support from the key Belgian galleries as well as a high rate of returning galleries. The fair will continue to be an exciting lab for discovery and a place to see booths from some of the top blue chip international galleries.”

Art Brussels is proud to have played a pivotal role in the city’s burgeoning art scene which has developed over its 50 years and now also includes satellite events around the time of the fair. Brussels hosts a well-established collector base and a large number of private collections, as well as being a draw for artists and consequently a number of artist-run initiatives.

With representation from 32 different countries, the fair has never been so international, whilst also increasing the number of belgian galleries (32% belgian galleries in 2018 vs 18% in 2017). Loyal Belgian exhibitors returning in PRIME from last year include Albert Baronian, Meessen De Clercq, dépendance, Xavier Hufkens, rodolphe janssen, Harlan Levey Projects, Greta Meert, Maruani Mercier, Almine Rech(also based in Paris, London, New York), Michel Rein (also based in Paris), Sorry We’re Closed, Sofie Van de Velde, Axel Vervoordt (also based in Hong Kong) and Nadja Vilenne. Further Belgian galleries that are new or have come back from previous years include Patrick De Brock, Mendes Wood DM (also based in São Paulo, New York), Office Baroque, OV Project, Tommy Simoens, Tim Van Laere and Zeno X.

PRIME will comprise of 110 established blue-chip galleries representing internationally recognised artists, including Avlskarl (Copenhagen), Baton (Seoul), Bernier/Eliades (Athens, Brussels), Thomas Brambilla (Bergamo), Ceysson & Bénétière (Paris, Luxembourg, Saint-Étienne, New York), Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Les Moulins, Havana), Jahn und Jahn (Munich), Lelong & Co (Paris, New York), Tucci Russo (Turino), Krinzinger (Vienna), Nathalie Obadia (Paris, Brussels), New Art Centre (Salisbury), Proyectos Monclova (Mexico City), Filomena Soares (Lisbon), SKOPIA Art Contemporain (Geneva), Pietro Sparta (Chagny), Daniel Templon (Paris, Brussels), Xippas (Paris, Geneva, Montevideo) as well as other key belgian galleries listed above.

Highlights showing the diversification within PRIME section include new additions and returning galleries such as AYE (Beijing), Blain|Southern (London, Berlin), Thomas Fischer (Berlin), Gana Art (Seoul, Busan), Kalfayan (Athens, Thessaloniki), Martos Gallery (New York), Anne Mosseri-Marlio (Basel), Tatjana Pieters (Ghent), pop/off/art gallery (Moscow), Sage (Paris) and 10 Chancery Lane Gallery (Hong Kong).

DISCOVERY will feature 33 galleries showing recently created work (2015-2018) from artists that are not yet known in the Western European art scene; to top-off a few of the promising artists: Colin Snapp and Emmanuel Van der Meulen (Allen; Paris), Przemek Pyszczek (Derouillon; Paris), Lennart Lahuis (Dürst Britt & Mayhew; The Hague), Karlos Gil (Francisco Fino; Lisbon), Morgan Blair, Jonathan Chapline and Anne Vieux (The Hole; New-York), Christopher Page (Hunter / Whitfield; London), Alfredo Aceto, Martin Belou and Mohamed Namou (Levy.Delval; Brussels), Dorian Gaudin and Manuel Scano Larrazàbal (Galerie Pact; Paris), David Armstrong Six (Parisian Laundry; Montreal), Bob Eikelboom (Barbara Seiler; Zurich), Georgina Gratrix (SMAC Gallery; Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Johannesburg), Megan Christiansen and Virgil Abloh (Stems; Brussels), and David Polzin (Waldburger Wouters; Brussels).

Art Brussels continues to place emphasis on the individual presentation of artists, with 21 galleries each presenting a single artist in the SOLO section. Exhibiting artists include Alice Anderson (La Patinoire Royale / Galerie Valérie Bach, Brussels), duo artists Florian Pugnaire & David Raffin (Ceysson & Bénétière; Paris, Luxembourg, Saint-Étienne, New York), Daniel Firman (Choi&Lager; Cologne), Stelios Karamanolis (Flatland; Amsterdam), Nicolas Party (Xavier Hufkens; Brussels), Beat Zoderer (Semiose; Paris), Marlon Mullen (Sorry We’re Closed; Brussels), Bart Stolle (Zeno X; Anvers), and a large-scale presentation by Alex Chaves (Martos Gallery; New York).

Four galleries will dedicate their booth to a REDISCOVERY presentation, such as Darío Villalba (Luis Adelantado; Valencia), Jaime Davidovich, Carlos Ginzburg and Osvaldo Romberg (Henrique Faria Fine Art; New York), Evelyne Axell, Jacques Verduyn and Pol Mara (Antoine Laurentin; Paris, Brussels) et Ida Barbarigo (Axel Vervoordt; Wijnegem, Hong Kong).