BRUSSELS.- Now in its 38th edition, Art Brussels - one of Europe’s oldest and most established art fairs - maintains its reputation as a discovery fair and reveals details of the artistic presentations by participating galleries. The fair welcomes returning local and international galleries to its PRIME section who continue to exhibit thoughtfully presented booths, alongside an increased number of SOLO presentations - 31 this year, proving Art Brussels continues to become more highly curated with each edition. Alongside the new and exciting works commissioned for the fair, Art Brussels 2020 will feature thought-provoking artworks which examine gender, technology, cultural identity and environmental issues.

New commissions include Antwerp based visual artist Philip Metten’s booth design and scenography for Zeno X (Antwerp) and Joel Mesler’s live portrait painting at Patrick De Brock (Knokke). rodolphe janssen (Brussels) focusses on the depth and breadth of artistic practice in Belgium by inviting ten international artists currently residing in the country - including Kendell Geers, Sanam Khatibi, and Léon Wuidar - to present new works.

One of the most notable figures in Belgian Surrealism, Marcel Mariën, is the focus of QG’s (Brussels) REDISCOVERY booth. Baronian Xippas (Brussels) will present Trinity, a three-part booth with a group presentation of mural works, a sculptural intervention by Olaf Holzapfel and an installation by UK photographer Darren Almond looking at the passage of time. A collaborative project between Sofie Van de Velde and Plus One (Antwerp) will also have time as a focus; L’Heure Bleue, a presentation on the notion of sunset, melancholy and the colour blue, will include works by Ilse d’Hollander, Guy Mees and Bendt Eyckermans.

A number of works at the fair examine notions of gender. In DISCOVERY, artist Tanja Ritterbex’s recreation of the bedroom of an 18th century child at Althuis Hofland (Amsterdam) questions established gender roles, and a SOLO presentation of paintings by Alex Foxton with Derouillon (Paris) explores masculine archetypes. Renowned for her sculptural works which examine gender in the context of a male dominated art world, Lynda Benglis is the focus of a SOLO booth by Xavier Hufkens (Brussels). At Central Galeria (São Paolo) performance artist Gretta Sarfaty looks at the representation of the female body for their REDISCOVERY booth.

The influence of technology and social media on society is addressed by a number of artists; Espai Tactel (Barcelona, Valencia) and Joey Ramone (Rotterdam) will present an installation by artistic duo Momu & No Es, who question our relationship with technology, and a SOLO presentation by Semiose (Paris) of Oli Epp will reflect on human interaction in a digital world. Post-internet art is a key trend in the INVITED section, where Fridman Gallery (New York) presents Dr. Heather Dewey-Hagborg’s work referencing genetic engineering and its influence on human behaviour, and Office Impart (Berlin) where Tristan Schulze focuses on artificial intelligence. The Hole (New York) will present post-digital artists including Alex Gardner, Adam Parker Smith and Jonathan Chapline.

Cultural identity is also a theme explored by artists at this year’s fair. Harlan Levey (Brussels) will show a SOLO booth by Ella Littwitz who explores the relationship between geography, politics and religion, at the border between Israel and Jordan. American artist Hugh Hayden, represented by Clearing (Brussels, New York) also looks at borders and identity, using wood from the US – Mexico border to critique issues around cultural differences, race and class.

Highlighting concerns around climate change, Nino Mier (LA, Cologne) will present Seven Trees, a series of paintings by Jake Longstreth which highlight the impact of global warming, wildfires and air pollution on the landscape and environs of California. Belgian artist Maarten Vanden Eynde, is also preoccupied with humanity’s ecological impact on the earth; his SOLO presentation for Meessen De Clercq (Brussels) explores the materiality of objects that surround us, looking at their origin, transportation and transformation. Whatiftheworld (Cape Town) hosts works by South African artist Chris Soal, who creates sculptures with disposable objects such as toothpicks and bottle tops, to comment on ecological concerns.