Art Antwerp announces its fourth edition with a new prize, a tribute to Albert Baronian and a cheerful end-of-year atmosphere

Art Antwerp​​
​​12 - 15 December 2024
​​Antwerp Expo
​Jan van Rijswijcklaan 191, 2020 Antwerp

Press Preview: Thursday 12 December, 10.30am

Art Antwerp, the contemporary art fair organised by Art Brussels, announces its fourth edition, set to take place from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 December 2024 at Antwerp Expo.

Since its launch in 2021, Art Antwerp is characterised by a cheerful and convivial end-of-year atmosphere. This, together with the invitation-only nature of Art Antwerp for the participating galleries (which are selected by the Invitation Committee), makes Art Antwerp a true boutique fair.

The fair attracts 13 000 visitors for four days and showcases a mix of established and up-and-coming artists from diverse backgrounds, with a focus on galleries presenting special booth projects. ​ 

Unlike larger art fairs, Art Antwerp offers a cozy atmosphere that fosters personal connections between collectors, art lovers, curators, artists and galleries, encouraging meaningful conversations. The fair is more intimate, more personal in its approach and ​ pays special attention to the experience of its participants and visitors. 

"The success of Art Antwerp lies in the unique, intimate atmosphere of our boutique fair and the emphasis on creating experiences. Visitors come not only to discover art in a setting full of surprises, but also to absorb the distinctive artistic energy that defines Antwerp. This 4th edition is marked by a tribute to the iconic gallerist Albert Baronian, who will end his career as a gallerist on the last day of the fair, a new prize for the ‘Best Booth’ presentation, selected by a professional international jury, a talk room with a master class on how to start collecting, interviews with artists and a live broadcast by Klara Pompidou. Striking sculptures will be prominent markers along the aisles. After a few hours at the fair, visitors can immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of the famous Antwerp fashion, design, contemporary art and Flemish masterpieces that the city has to offer"
​​
​- Nele Verhaeren, Managing Director Art Antwerp

One of the exciting novelties this year is the Best Booth Prize: a new prize Art Antwerp is launching to reward the gallery that brings the most cohesive and convincing artistic vision and presentation. The key evaluation criteria include the artistic value of the booth project, as well as diversity, inclusion, and relevance. A professional jury will nominate the winning gallery, who will receive a prize of €2,500, which will be awarded during the opening day of the fair on Thursday.

The jury members of the Best Booth Prize are Elisa De Wyngaert (Curator at MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp), Joseph Kouli (French collector), Charlotte Martens (Senior Curator at Kunsthal Rotterdam) and Maurice Funken (Director of NAK – Neuer Aachener Kunstverein in Aachen - Germany). ​ ​ 

Another highlight will be a special booth project by Albert Baronian, honouring his significant contributions to Art Brussels as he prepares to close his gallery at the end of the year (more information below). 

Visitors can look forward to a richer programme of conferences and talks, and the fair will also feature impressive large-scale installations and sculptures, adding a dynamic visual dimension to the event.

Art Antwerp continues to receive the support from main partners Delen Private Bank and Bank Van Breda. Antwerp's rich artistic heritage and vibrant contemporary art scene make it an ideal host city for this emerging art fair. 

Honouring Albert Baronian: his final participation at an art fair 

Albert Baronian has been invited by Art Antwerp to present his very last booth at an art fair, as Baronian Gallery will permanently close at the end of 2024. Since he opened his gallery in 1973 - more than five decades ago - Baronian has been a key player in the local and international gallery scene. In June this year, he received the FEAGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Basel. As a former president of the Brussels Gallery Association, he played an important role not only in the Art Brussels fair, but also in the launch of Easyfairs, the organising company behind Art Brussels and Art Antwerp. For his final appearance at the fair, Baronian will present works by four female artists from his programme: Leen Voet, Tessa Perutz, Charlotte Vander Borght and Toufan Hosseiny. 

He will also be showing work by Mekhitar Garabedian, an artist who explores themes of migration and diaspora. Like Garabedian's grandfather, Albert Baronian's father arrived in Aleppo, Syria, fleeing the Armenian genocide. He later migrated to Antwerp, where he met and married his wife in 1932. Due to the heavy bombing during the Second World War, the family moved again, this time to Brussels, where Albert Baronian was born. Today, Mekhitar Garabedian lives in the city where the fair is held, completing the circle symbolised by this stand presentation. 

Galleries 2024 

For its fourth edition, Art Antwerp will host 68 galleries carefully selected by our Invitation Committee. Of these, 47% are from abroad, with 18% from the Netherlands, 8% from France, and 7% from the UK. All participating galleries hail from Europe, representing eleven countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the UK. 

To emphasise the content of each gallery project, Art Antwerp has invited Nina Hendrickx, former director of the renowned Antwerp gallery Zeno X, to act as a curatorial copywriter and write insightful pitches for each gallery’s exhibition. These pitches will be available on our website, offering visitors a deeper understanding of the works on display. While galleries have a carte blanche, we are proud to announce that 32% of this year’s exhibitors have chosen to showcase solo or duo presentations, demonstrating their commitment to highlighting the body of work of specific artists. This is also an opportunity for visitors to discover the artist in depth, rather than just individual works. A glimpse of artists featuring a body of work include stanley brouwn and Ria Verhaeghe (with Richard Saltoun, London/Rome), Lia D Castro (with Martins&Montero, São Paulo/Brussels) and Bert De Geyter (with Settantotto Art Gallery, Ghent). ​ ​ 

In a more concrete example, artist Bruno V. Roels will transform the Solo Booth presentation of GALLERY FIFTY ONE (Antwerp) into a Lounge. The Lounge represents a metaphorical waiting room for paradise—much like an airport lounge before departure or the serene lobby of an elegant hotel. Visitors will be invited to pause, reflect, and immerse themselves in a tranquil, contemplative space that captures the essence of transition and anticipation, just as one might await entry into an imagined paradise. In addition to photography, the exhibition will showcase ceramics, limited editions, and collaborative works—offering a comprehensive view of Roels’ diverse artistic practice.

Invitation Committee ​  ​ 

The fair works with an Invitation Committee whose role is to select the participating galleries "by invitation", guaranteeing the same high quality of exhibitors for which Art Brussels is known. The selection is based on the profile of the gallery. Galleries have a carte blanche in presenting their booth project. ​ ​ ​ 

The members of the Invitation Committee are Myriam Attali (Galerie Lelong & Co., Paris, New York), Will Lunn (Copperfield London) and Jason Poirier dit Caulier (PLUS-ONE Gallery, Antwerp). 

Participating Galleries:

Main Partners for Art Antwerp & Art Brussels 

Delen Private Bank & Bank Van Breda ​
​The activities of sister companies Delen Private Bank and Bank Van Breda complement each other perfectly. Delen Private Bank focuses on wealth management and wealth planning, while Bank Van Breda is a bank of choice for entrepreneurs and professionals, both privately and professionally. 

Other Partners 

Art Shippers ​
​​Art Shippers is a leading fine art logistics partner delivering all possible services in the fine art world. 

Taschen ​
​​Taschen is a leading publishing house known for its exquisite collaborations with the world’s most influential artists, photographers, architects, designers and cultural icons. 

Duvel Moortgat ​
​​The Belgian brewery Duvel Moortgat has a special interest in contemporary art, design and architecture and works in partnership with museums and institutions as S.M.A.K. and WIELS, and international events such as La Biennale di Venezia. 

Stad Antwerpen

Media partners 

Art Antwerp is delighted to count on the collaboration of three important media partners which are also involved in Art Brussels: De Standaard, Le Soir, Klara. 

iPass ID ​ 

Art Antwerp works with iPass ID to preserve the reputation of the art market and enhance trust and transparency, without burdening administrative procedures for participants, including international art fairs, galleries and collectors.

The app designed by iPass ID is an all-in-one solution to comply with legal obligations regarding anti-money laundering and KYC “Know your customer” and is accessible to all players in the art industry.

About ESG

Art Antwerp is proud to be a member of the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC), furthering our commitment to sustainability in the art industry. The organising company, Easyfairs Group, has prioritised sustainability since 2021, under the leadership of a dedicated Chief Sustainability Officer. Sustainability performance is tracked at each Easyfairs event using a ‘scorecard,’ which measures environmental and social impact. This system enables the fair to compare events and venues, adopt best practices, and continually reduce the carbon footprint while enhancing social contributions. It also raises awareness within the company on managing fairs in alignment with ESG principles. Through the membership with the G.C.C., both Art Brussels and Art Antwerp are aligned with this mission, focusing on advancing sustainability in the art world. ​ 

Specific actions applied at Art Antwerp 2024: reusable wall partitions, decrease of paper printed invitations, strict waste management, responsible food sourcing with limited packing material, water bottles & fountains, led lights, green energy of the venue, supporting GoForest. ​ 

Notes to the editors

Selection of images from Art Antwerp 2023 (© David Plas)

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David PlasArt Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David PlasArt Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David PlasArt Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David PlasArt Antwerp 2023. Photo © David PlasArt Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David PlasArt Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David PlasArt Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Art Antwerp 2023. Photo © David PlasArt Antwerp 2023. Photo © David Plas

Nina HendrickxNele Verhaeren © Davd Plas