BRAFA 2025

In 1956, the first BRAFA fair was launched under the name “Foire des Antiquaries”, in the Salle Arlequin in the Galeries Louise in Brussels. Founded by Charles Van Hove, chairman of the Belgian Chamber of Antique Dealers, the idea was to bring together the country’s leading antique dealers. The fair was a success and it grew steadily over the years. One of its main successes is due to the exhibitor’s loyalty, including such notable names as Axel Vervoordt and De Jonckheere Gallery, keeping a high-quality and consistent presentation of works over the years, maintaining its reputation, but also being able to adapt and shift with the times. In 2022, BRAFA moved to the Brussels Expo, an important move that helped expand its reach and programming.

Klaas Muller was elected Chairman of BRAFA in June 2024. He has been on the Board of Directors since 2015 and was appointed Vice-Chairman Antiques & Old Masters in 2021. Muller says: “I feel very positive about the future of BRAFA. The Board of Directors is entirely made up of active art dealers. They, more than anyone, understand what matters in the art world and how the market is developing. What’s more, the art market has always been somewhat isolated from the rest of the economy. If the stock market is up, for example, that’s not automatically a guarantee for the art market. Conversely, if there is a general economic recession, sometimes the art market seems to be the only sector that is doing well.”

The 2025 edition welcomes 130 galleries from 16 countries, including 16 new exhibitors. A selection of the new participants includes: Colnaghi, based in London, New York, Madrid and Brussels and DYS44 Lampronti Gallery and Stoppenbach & Delestre, both also based in London. In addition, Hoffmans Antiques from Stockholm and J. Baptista, a Lisbon-based gallery, will be making their debut. In the contemporary field, Templon, Objects with Narratives and Galerie Nathalie Obadia are among some newer galleries that will be participating.

The guest of honour this year is Joana Vasconcelos, a Portuguese visual artist well-known for her wildly vibrant, often large-scale, colourful installations. She works with ceramics, metal and glass, among other materials, creating dynamic and joyful immersive installations. Among many of her notable exhibitions includes the 2005 Venice Biennale and being the first woman to exhibit at the Chateau de Versailles in 2012. She also had a solo show at the Guggenheim Bilbao ­– the first Portuguese artists to do so. At BRAFA 2025, she will be exhibiting two Valkyries, sculptures inspired by the female figures from Norse mythology who flew over the battlefields, bringing the bravest warriors back to life to join the deities in Valhalla. Made from textiles, they give full expression to the artist’s creativity, involving a variety of fabrics and trimmings. Vasconcelos says: “For this historic edition, I am proposing the installation of a body of work that I have been developing since last year in collaboration with Dior. This series will feature two monumental sculptures, the placement of which I believe will serve as an aesthetic and conceptual focal point at the fair. These works are intended to not only celebrate the fair’s rich heritage but also to engage in a dialogue with the contemporary moment, creating an atmosphere that resonates with the depth and vision that BRAFA embodies. Through this installation, my hope is to contribute to the creation of a distinctive and memorable experience, befitting the significance of BRAFA’s 70th edition anniversary.”

BRAFA also announces a new collaboration with KIK – IRPA – Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage, a pioneer in the preservation of heritage objects. At BRAFA, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage will be showcasing the many facets of its work, from art conservation and restoration to heritage management and scientific analysis, in a space next to the King Baudouin Foundation. Visitors are invited to discover how specialists analyse and document works of art, providing fascinating insights into their history and their crafting techniques.

Throughout the week, BRAFA will host a series of daily lectures, the BRAFA Art Talks, on the stand of the King Baudouin Foundation, stand 135.

BRAFA is open on Sunday, January 26th to Sunday, February 2nd from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, January 27th is by invitation only. Late-night opening on Thursday, January 30th until 10 p.m.

Brussels Expo – Halls 3 & 4

Place de Belgique 1

1020 Brussels

www.brafa.art

@brafa