Art Brussels announces the winners of the different prizes
Today, the 40th edition of Art Brussels opened at Brussels Expo, the Art Deco icon built for the Brussels International Exposition in 1935.
Recognised as a premier platform for contemporary art, Art Brussels continues to evolve, innovate and inspire, celebrating four decades of artistic excellence, creativity and cultural dialogue.
The 40th edition of Art Brussels presents a selection of 177 galleries from 30 countries, each bringing their unique artistic perspectives and contributions to the fore. With a focus on innovation, diversity and inclusivity, the fair is presenting a curated programme of galleries divided into 5 sections, special artistic projects, and an outdoor sculpture exhibition, offering visitors an immersive experience of today's art scene.
Click here for the first images of the fair.
We're happy to announce the winners of the different prizes of this year.
Sculpture Project – Art for the City
For Art for the City, the galleries participating in Art Brussels were invited to submit a monumental work, 14 of which were selected by a jury and exhibited in front of the Palais 5 at Heysel during the fair. The winning artist will be invited to design a work for Brussels as part of a future urban development project.
An international jury consisting of Carine Fol, Els Wuyts, Jennifer Beauloye, Joop Van Caldenborgh and Samuel Saelemakers has selected the winner.
The prize is generously supported by the town of Brussels.
Winner : Marion Verboom represented by Galerie Lelong & Co. (Paris)
The Art for the City Jury unanimously appointed Marion Verboom (1983, living and working in Paris) as the recipient of the Art for the City Prize 2024. With this prize, Verboom is invited to make a proposal for a site-specific public art project for Brussels, part of a future urban development project. The jury praises her use of different materials, textures and colours, her insightful references to various periods in art history and cultural traditions, and the rich visual and conceptual layers present in her body of work. Verboom's art is both playful and approachable, but also holds an element of surprise and excitement, rendering it exceptionally suited for a public installation. Citing her experience in creating art for public spaces and her profound interest in its historical context, the jury is confident that Verboom will deliver a meaningful and impactful sculpture for the town of Brussels.
INVITED Prize
INVITED is a diverse section that champions the evolution of the art market and provides booths to young and upcoming galleries who have never participated in Art Brussels before and who stand out for their ambition, programming, and curating, and in some cases, in ways they challenge the traditional gallery model. Participants have carte blanche for their presentation at the fair.
The best INVITED booth at the fair is rewarded with the INVITED Prize, and will be endowed a voucher of €5.000 for a guaranteed participation in Art Brussels 2025. The selection is made by a professional jury. This year, the members of the jury are Kiera Blakey, Marta Dziewańska, and Frédéric de Goldschmidt.
The INVITED Prize is generously supported by Natan.
Winner : Gauli Zitter (booth 6B-34)
The jury enjoyed the presentation by two artists who formally and conceptually created an intimate and harmonious interplay in the booth. The subtle and poetic installation evokes a closed space and addresses the conditions of being an artist today.
Rediscovery Prize – Cécile Debray, Edith Dekyndt and Dirk Snauwaert
This prize is linked to the REDISCOVERY section of the fair and celebrates the most underrated, underestimated or forgotten artist(s) of the 20th century. The REDISCOVERY section aims to explore and highlight surprising, unknown and original practices that have not yet entered the mainstream of art history.
The REDISCOVERY Prize will be awarded to the gallery and the represented artist(s) or their rights holder(s). They will be endowed a cash prize of €9,000. This year, the members of the jury are: Cécile Debray, Edith Dekyndt and Dirk Snauwaert.
The REDISCOVERY Prize is sponsored by SOFAM.
Winner : Richard Saltoun (booth 5A-26)
We have chosen to recognize the work of the Richard Saltoun Gallery for its rediscoveries in the art of the 60s and 70s and its interest on women artists. We were particularly taken by the graphic works of Myriam Bat-Yosef and TOYEN.
DISCOVERY Prize
The DISCOVERY prize is awarded each year to the gallery with the best presentation in the DISCOVERY section. This section includes galleries presenting recent productions (in this case, 2018-2024) by emerging international talents. It is an important part of the Art Brussels 'discovery' profile. Art Brussels wishes to support the younger scene, and launched this prize in 2013, which is awarded annually on the opening day to the gallery that has made the most original and engaging presentation at the fair.
The best DISCOVERY artist at the fair is rewarded with the DISCOVERY Prize, including a cash award of €5.000.
The selection is made by a professional jury. This year, the members of this jury are: Olivia Aherne, Cedric Fauq and Philippe Van Cauteren.
The DISCOVERY Prize is supported by Moleskine.
Winner : Galeria Lutniţa (booth 6D-22)
In awarding the Discovery Prize to Lutniţa gallery (Moldova, founded in 2022), the jury recognises the quality of the presentation showcasing Diana Cepleanu (b. 1957, Romania) and Mihail Șarpe (b. 1992, Moldova). Their original approach pairs two artists from different generations, employing painting and installation through an intuitive and sensitive approach to self-portraiture. The jury agreed that the booth's installation, balanced in its materiality, highlighted the depth of both artists' practices with vulnerability arising from their dialogue.
SOLO Prize – Michèle Cotton, Zoë Gray and Lionel Bovier.
The SOLO exhibitions present work by established and upcoming artists and are dispersed throughout the fair. Art Brussels wishes to encourage galleries to make distinctive statements by presenting one specific projects by individual artists. This allows visitors to discover the work of an artist in greater depth.
The best SOLO artist at the fair is rewarded with the SOLO Prize, including a cash award of €10.000. The selection is made by a professional jury. This year, the members of the jury are: Lionel Bovier, Michèle Cotton and Zoë Gray.
The SOLO Prize is supported by TheMerode.
Winner : Paulo Nimer Pjota, Mendes Wood DM (Brussels) (booth 5C-28)
The jury was impressed by the way in which the artist brings together diverse visual references – from art history, the decorative arts and popular culture – in a visually coherent and playful whole. Seemingly effortlessly, and avoiding all didacticism, the paintings coalesce a range of sources without hierarchy. They embrace visual pleasure, skillfully playing with different aesthetic categories.
