ArtOnPaper in Brussels opens its 10th edition with 56 participants, a new Solo Prize and an extensive programme dedicated to art on paper
From 2 to 4 October 2026, ArtOnPaper returns for its 10th edition, bringing together 50 galleries and six guest projects at the Sheds at Tour & Taxis in Brussels. Under the new artistic direction of Emmanuelle Indekeu, the fair presents a broad panorama of art on paper, spanning 19th-century drawings, post-war Belgian art, printmaking, editions and contemporary practices.
Following a sabbatical year in 2025, ArtOnPaper enters a new chapter with a renewed format and a stronger international focus. This anniversary edition is led by Emmanuelle Indekeu, Managing and Artistic Director, alongside Louise Malfait, Director of Communications and Visitor Experience.
The move to Tour & Taxis, the introduction of the new Edition section and the SOLO Prize, collaborations with the Musée d’Ixelles and The Drawer, and an extensive programme of Art Talks all reflect ArtOnPaper’s ambition to become a meeting point for the wider ecosystem surrounding art on paper.
At the heart of the fair is the conviction that paper is far more than a preparatory medium. Direct and intimate, yet remarkably versatile, it can capture the first trace of an idea, preserve the gesture of an artist, or become a material to be printed, cut, folded, assembled and transformed. Across historical and contemporary works, unique pieces and editions, ArtOnPaper aims to reveal the extraordinary range of possibilities the medium offers today.
50 galleries and six guest projects
This year, ArtOnPaper welcomes 50 galleries and six invited projects from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Japan and Algeria.
The fair is structured around five sections. Old Masters is dedicated to historical works on paper, while the Main Section focuses on modern and contemporary art. Emergent provides a platform for younger gallery programmes, Solo offers an in-depth presentation of a single artist’s practice, and the new Edition section focuses on prints, multiples and other works produced in editions.
International participants include Formation Gallery from Copenhagen, Gallery KITAI from Tokyo, Mini Galerie from Amsterdam, MERAKI.IFL from Ponte de Sor, The Paddocks from Volos and Galerie Person from Paris.
The Belgian art scene is strongly represented by galleries including Bernier/Eliades, Base-Alpha Gallery, Chiquita Room, Nosbaum Reding, Maurice Verbaet Gallery, Studio Vanpoucke, Wouters Gallery, Thomas Deprez Fine Arts, SYBIL, Grège Gallery, Galerie Émilie Dujat, Galerie Sept and Galerie Christine Colon.
Together, they bring several generations and artistic approaches into dialogue, with works by artists including Thomas Schütte, Tony Cragg, Markus Lüpertz, Luc Tuymans, Koen van den Broek, Sanam Khatibi, Fred Bervoets, Hugo Claus, Barthélémy Toguo, Pieter Laurens Mol, Charlotte Culot, Louis Reith and Julien Saudubray.
Six guest projects broaden the scope of the traditional fair format: artlead × Posture Editions, Atelier Bardaf, Établissement d’en face, Jacques Calonne, La République Géniale and TRNGL / panache, the latter taking part in the programme dedicated to publications and publishing.
João Freitas wins the ArtOnPaper 2026 SOLO Prize
Created to mark ArtOnPaper’s 10th edition, the new SOLO Prize recognises an artist presented within the fair’s Solo section whose practice places paper at its core.
For its inaugural edition, the jury has selected João Freitas, presented by LAGE EGAL Curatorial Projects (Berlin / Brussels). The prize will lead to a solo exhibition at the Musée d’Ixelles in 2028 and a portfolio in The Drawer magazine in October 2027.
An exploration of what we discard
Born in 1989 and based in Brussels, João Freitas develops an experimental, research-driven practice centred on paper and discarded materials. He collects fragments and objects that have been abandoned or stripped of their value and uses them to explore both the physical qualities of the medium and broader questions around what society chooses to discard.
Construction sites play a central role in this process. They provide the raw materials for his work while raising a wider question: what role do materials that often remain unseen play in the construction of our society?
The jury highlighted the rigour of Freitas’s research, the coherence of the body of work presented and his approach to paper as a living material charged with meaning. It also underlined the importance of providing meaningful, long-term support to emerging contemporary artists.
“For this 10th edition, we wanted to create a prize that genuinely supports an artist’s development. Thanks to the Musée d’Ixelles and The Drawer, João Freitas now has two years to further develop his work, culminating in an exhibition and a publication that will allow his research to resonate far beyond the fair.”
— Emmanuelle Indekeu, Managing and Artistic Director of ArtOnPaper
“For the past fifteen years, The Drawer has championed drawing that transcends its own boundaries. João Freitas’s practice, in which paper becomes a material that is collected, tested and transformed, is fully in keeping with this exploration. We are delighted to dedicate a portfolio to him in our October 2027 issue.”
— Barbara Soyer and Sophie Toulouse, founders of The Drawer
“The Musée d’Ixelles, which is due to reopen in March 2027, is delighted to welcome the winner of the SOLO Prize as part of its future programme. True to its commitment to fostering a dialogue between contemporary art and the public, the museum wishes to continue playing an active role in supporting today’s artists. By offering the winner visibility among a broad public and incorporating their work into its programme, the Musée d’Ixelles intends to fully embrace its role as a springboard and contribute to showcasing the practices shaping Belgium’s contemporary art scene today.”
— Claire Leblanc, Director and Curator, Musée d’Ixelles
A three-part award
The SOLO Prize includes a solo exhibition at the Musée d’Ixelles from 28 October to 3 December 2028, in the museum’s Guest space dedicated to contemporary art; a portfolio of approximately ten pages in volume 29 of The Drawer, to be published in October 2027; and a 50% discount on a stand of up to 25 m² at a future edition of ArtOnPaper.
The jury comprises Charlotte Friling, representing the Musée d’Ixelles, and Barbara Soyer and Sophie Toulouse, founders of The Drawer.
From Old Masters to new forms of publishing
ArtOnPaper’s different sections deliberately move beyond a single definition of drawing or a single generation of artists, creating connections between historical works, modern art and contemporary practices.
Thomas Deprez Fine Arts presents historic Belgian artists including François-Joseph Navez, Henri Van Assche, Franz Binjé, Eugène Smits, Maurice Langaskens and Jean Brusselmans, while Maurice Verbaet Gallery brings together works by Fred Bervoets, Jan Saverys, Hugo Claus, Pierre-Louis Flouquet, Auguste Mambour and Vic Gentils.
Contemporary practices are equally prominent. Studio Vanpoucke presents artists including Koen van den Broek, Sanam Khatibi, Luc Tuymans, Shirley Villavicencio Pizango and Tinus Vermeersch. Kubus und Kugel features Markus Lüpertz, Mojé Assefjah and Armin Boehm, while Bernier/Eliades presents works by Thomas Schütte, Tony Cragg and Christiane Löhr, among others.
The international solo presentations offer a closer look at individual artistic practices: MERAKI.IFL presents Philippe Nayer, Mini Galerie focuses on Louis Reith, Gallery KITAI on Shinzan Kurihara and The Paddocks on Katerina Moschou. Chiquita Room presents Pieter Laurens Mol, while Wouters Gallery dedicates its presentation to Julien Saudubray.
Three days of conversations on paper, drawing and the art market
Alongside the gallery presentations, ArtOnPaper hosts an extensive programme of Art Talks throughout the three days of the fair, bringing together artists, curators, researchers, publishers, gallery owners and art professionals to examine the role of paper in contemporary artistic practice and today’s art market.
On Friday 2 October, KASK opens the programme with Curating Works on Paper, featuring Isabel Van Bos, Natasja Mabesoone and Laetitia Gendre. This is followed by Lines of Evidence: Drawing, Knowledge and Value in the Digital Age, organised in collaboration with Artnet and bringing together Anne-Sophie V. Radermecker, Sophie Neuendorf, Sabine Taevernier and Thomas Deprez. ARBA concludes the day with When Drawing Becomes Space, exploring the relationship between drawing and spatial practice.
On Saturday 3 October, Posture Editions and artlead explore publications and publishing as alternative spaces for the circulation of art. Le Quotidien de l’Art then presents Brussels: An Ecosystem of Paper, with editor-in-chief Rafael Pic, curator Anne Pontégnie and Wauthier de Mahieu of Bernier/Eliades. The programme continues with one. and How Do We Find the Right Access to the Art Market?, featuring Fabian Kluth and Zaza Lüpertz.
On Sunday 4 October, La Cambre brings together artists and lecturers Tom Hallet and Catherine Warmoes for Le goût du Dessin. The programme concludes with Tropical Papers, a conversation between artists Felipe Mujica and Antonio Vega Macotela and María Inés Rodríguez, curator and founder of Tropical Papers.
About ArtOnPaper
ArtOnPaper was originally conceived as an experimental format by Michel Culot and the late Pierre Hallet (1953–2021). Held at BOZAR since 2015, the fair opens a new chapter for its 10th edition at the Sheds at Tour & Taxis, with the continued support and organisation of VO Group.
The selection committee assists the artistic director in selecting participating galleries. It comprises María Inés Rodríguez, curator and director of the Walter & Nicole Leblanc Foundation; artist and filmmaker Pierre Bismuth; art expert Sabine Taevernier; independent curator Anne Pontégnie; collector and founder of one. Fabian Kluth; and Anne-Shelton Aaron, who has long been involved with European institutions dedicated to contemporary art.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
ArtOnPaper — 10th edition
2–4 October 2026
The Sheds — Tour & Taxis
Brussels
Opening hours
Friday 2 October | 11.00 – 18.00
Saturday 3 October | 11.00 – 18.00
Sunday 4 October | 11.00 – 18.00
PRESS CONTACT
Club Paradis
Micha Pycke
micha@clubparadis.be
+32 (0)486 680 070
Selected photos (© Geoffrey Fritsch)
