Visiting an art fair is a demanding exercise for the brain and all the senses. To avoid “overeating with your eyes” and suffering from art-bulimia, it helps to identify reference points and areas of interest in advance. Our perception works in such a way that attention is initially captured by the brightest and most original pieces. At the 3rd edition of the specialised fair Ceramics Brussels 2026, I deliberately forced myself not to rush, like a moth to a flame, towards the kitsch that invariably appears in any gathering of contemporary art. This festival, after all, elevates ceramics from the realm of “applied art” to the “art” – collectible, one-off art. In 2026, the fair’s showcase was brimming with it.
Ceramics Brussels is an international art fair, founded in 2024 in Brussels by Gilles Parmentier (a Belgian art manager known for Art on Paper and Brussels Drawing Week) and Jean-Marc Dimanche (a French curator and art advisor), who recognised the growing interest in ceramics within the field of contemporary art. The fair was conceived as an international platform for galleries, artists, institutions, and collectors to meet, as well as to foster dialogue and professional connections around contemporary ceramics – a vision that is being fully realised in its third year.
The guest of honour at Ceramics Brussels 2026 is the Austrian artist Elmar Trenkwalder, a commanding figure in European art, notable not only for his stature. His portrait resemblance to Saint Peter (as depicted in European painting) seems to hand him the keys to monumental sculpture – but in an entirely Baroque, even Rococo, spirit. All those flourishes, ornamentation, and intricate details characteristic of 16th–17th century styles are present in his work. In his sculptures, he recreates a Baroque universe where eroticism and architecture intertwine. Columns take on phallic forms, while ornaments are composed of entwined human figures. The language of forms and lavishness is closely tied to Baroque architecture, which flourished in Austria. Trenkwalder develops his own sensual variation on architectural themes in ceramics. At the same time, his sculptures are not devoid of Asian elements. This complex tangle of influences is received with great enthusiasm by European audiences!
Аs an art journalist, I have a particular fondness for a clearly defined concept, present in every solo project devoted to a single artist. A strong narrative makes writing effortless. In 2026, I was happy to agree with the experts of Ceramics Brussels: the best stand belonged to the German gallery from Bonn, Galerie Judith Andreae, with a solo project by Janis Löhrer. Wet Room at Bloom invites viewers into the intimate space of a public shower, featuring a glazed urinal of pure beauty, forgotten underwear, and a tiled fresco in a Delft porcelain style. The German artist, whose culture is accustomed to nudity in public saunas, baths, and beaches, leaves ample room for the viewer’s imagination. Two neatly ironed shirts await a pure character, whose face we are invited to imagine. Humor, elegance of execution, and a compelling narrative – all are present in Janis Löhrer, an artist from Düsseldorf living in one of the capitals of contemporary art, Berlin.
