Art Brussels 2026
Art Brussels opens its doors today for its 42nd edition. The annual contemporary art fair takes place at Brussels Expo and includes 138 international galleries plus a host of special events, exhibitions and prizes. Read for more details.
Art Brussels returns for its 42nd edition at Halls 5 & 6 at Brussels Expo. The annual art fair runs between April 23-26, 2026 and includes 138 galleries from 26 countries, presented within a fully redesigned layout aimed at giving visitors a clear and more engaging experience. 65% of exhibitors are returning, a reflection of this long-standing event that has consistently evolved overtime while staying true to its identity and connection to the art community in Brussels. Nele Verhaeren, Managing Director of Art Brussels & Art Antwerp writes: “We know that galleries are more selective about where they participate and that collectors are more conscious about how often and how far they travel. In this context, Belgium’s strong collector base and its proximity to Paris, Amsterdam and Köln are a real strength for Art Brussels. Sixty-five percent of the galleries are returning, and key galleries remain on board. A special artistic project, entitled Not Everything is For Sale in the Stibbe lounge, dedicated to 15 experienced local key figures, once again underlines the importance and influence of these players.”
The fair features five distinct sections, each with a specific perspective on contemporary artistic production. The Prime section includes 83 galleries featuring modern masters, established contemporary artists for a cross-generational presentation. Solo brings together 26 solo exhibitions, allowing visitors to engage more deeply with an individual artist, a level of focus that is rarely available in the art fair context. The Solo section has a special cash price supported by The Merode, that will be given to an artist selected by a professional jury. ’68 Forward section, a nod to the fair’s inaugural event, highlights 11 galleries showing the diversity of artistic movements that have shaped contemporary art since 1968. Discovery is a platform for emerging international talent, with 38-galleries presenting solo or curated installations. The annual Discovery Prize, now known as the Discovery Acquisition Prize, supported by Moleskin, will provide up to €10,000 for the purchase of an artwork for a museum collection. This year, that museum is the Museum of Ixelles, which will reopen in 2027 after an eight-year renovation. In 2026, a new section, Horizons, curated by Devrim Bayer, senior curator at the newly opened Kanal Centre Pompidou, will features seven monumental artworks, creating a space for experimentation and reflection within the fair. The artists included in the Horizons section this year are: Aglaia Konrad, Elen Braga, Ymen Berhouma, Jacqueline de Jong, Pao Hui Kao, who has built the LuniSolar House, Oswald Oberhuber and Zuzanna Czebatul.
The entrance installation for Art Brussels 2026 is done by Belgian artist Natasja Mabesoone, who created a site-specific installation for the fair. Other related projects include “Not Everything is for Sale: What 15 Gallerists Based in Brussels with Over 25 Years Would Never Part With – and Why.” This unique concept, curated by Bernard Marcelis, with the support of Stibbe, proposes 15 gallerists, who are also participating in the 2026 Art Brussels edition but have been active for over 25 year, to select the one artwork they would not want to live without. The exhibition offers a fun look at the personal passion and taste of these established gallerists, and works not often seen in public. “A Belgian Paradox: Pure Forms, Raw Matters,” organised by Delen Private Bank, the main partner of Art Brussels, reflects the bank’s longstanding commitment to post-war Belgian abstraction and to young Belgian talent. The exhibition is meant to show not the contradictions but a continuum across different generations, in which pure forms emerge from raw matter.
In addition to the exhibitions and events surrounding Art Brussels, the fair presents its Art Advisory Deck, a dedicate space where visitors, individual and institutional, can connect with experienced art advisors for personalised guidance about art acquisitions.
Art Brussels will take place at Brussels Expo, Hall 5 & 6
OPENING DAY
Thursday 23 April 2026
Preview | 11am – 4pm
Vernissage | 4pm – 9pm
PUBLIC DAYS
Friday 24 April 2026 | 11am – 7pm
Saturday 25 April 2026 | 11am – 7pm
Sunday 26 April 2026 | 11am – 6pm
For more information and a full listing of the weekend’s events, visit:
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