In 2026, Art Brussels welcomes artists, gallerists, and lovers of contemporary art with a distinctly spring-like, feminine, and delicate installation, “Cher mouths Mary, Mary mouths Cher” (2026) by Belgian artist Natasja Mabesoone (b. 1988). The fair commissioned the work specifically for its 42nd edition, to mark the entrance to the contemporary art space.

I had expected, as usual, some kind of sculpture standing at the entrance. Mabesoone’s work is entirely different. The artist has transformed the walls, ticket counters, and passageways into a unified visual field with repeating patterns, prints, and flourishes – not of a pen, but as if drawn with a pencil from your make-up bag. It is a total installation, one might say a “mural” -but don’t think of Diego Rivera and his radical statements. On the contrary, in a powdery pink, glamorous palette, Mabesoone creates the impression that the viewer has stepped into the pages of a fashion magazine or into backstage gossip. You came to see bold, futuristic, innovative contemporary art – but you, as the viewer, are also being looked at (with freshly touched-up eyes). Sketches for this feminist installation can be seen at the booth styled like a boutique at Sofie Van de Velde Gallery (Booth 5B-150).

Natasja was born in Knokke, the most glamorous seaside resort on the Belgian coast, which is hardly surprising when you look at her work. We all know the kinds of little shops beloved by girls and women, filled with jewellery and cosmetics. She completed her Master’s degree at the School of Arts in Ghent and now lives and works between Brussels and Ghent. She is part of the artistic cooperative Level Five in Brussels, actively exhibits at various art fairs, yet remains firmly within the realm of intellectual contemporary art. The installation is typical of her artistic language, drawing on so-called “low aesthetics” – décor, glitter, pop culture, femininity and its imagery.

“Our ambition is to develop our own ecosystem,” said Nele Verhaeren, Director of Art Brussels. In my view, the fair’s team has achieved it this year. A reduction of just over twenty galleries has made the space more human in scale and easier to digest. Our brains have their limits when it comes to perception, and overload+ especially with conceptual contemporary art, is a very real risk.

So:

139 galleries from 26 countries. The fair layout has been completely rethought to offer a clearer and more logical viewing route. A significant proportion of participants are returning galleries—65% have come back, reflecting the strength and stability of the international network.

The fair is structured into five sections, each offering its own perspective on contemporary artistic production.

The Prime section brings together 83 leading galleries, presenting masters of modern and contemporary art alongside established international artists, creating an intergenerational panorama.

The Solo section features 26 monographic presentations, allowing for a focused engagement with individual artistic practices-a format rarely possible within the context of an art fair.

The ’68 Forward section, rooted in the history of the fair, brings together 11 galleries exploring the diversity of artistic movements that have shaped contemporary art since 1968 – the year Art Brussels was founded.

The Discovery section continues to serve as a platform for emerging international artists: 38 galleries present either a single artist or curated dialogues between under-recognised artists, offering fresh perspectives for European collectors.

Horizons!

The most striking project, in my view:

In Hall 6 of Art Brussels, structurally separated from the rest of the fair, Devrim Bayar, curator at KANAL–Centre Pompidou (set to open on 26 November 2026), has brought together seven monumental works in a single exhibition conceived as a scenographic journey. This is a museum-level project, not driven by sales. It is intended purely for contemplation, participation, and pleasure – though not without intellectual engagement and reflection.

“Horizons” here operates as a multilayered metaphor. These vast installations, like seven wonders of the world, genuinely expand the horizons of contemporary art and set a sense of scale. On a philosophical level, the horizon is something perpetually unattainable -a line you move towards but never reach. It is a fitting metaphor for contemporary art, where meaning is never fixed but constantly shifting and expanding. After all, it is human nature to gaze at the horizon at sunrise and sunset.

The visual highlight of the project is “Elen ou Ubris” by Brazilian artist Elen Braga, from the Vanhaerents Art Collection in Brussels. We saw this giant textile “tapestry”, a self-portrait of the artist, last year in the foundation’s concert hall during the ARTONOV festival. Within the context of “Horizons”, it takes on a different presence. Yet the story of its creation is even more extraordinary.

The monumental work was originally conceived for display at the Triumphal Arch in Cinquantenaire Park in Brussels six years ago. The choice of location was crucial. The arch forms part of the grand urban vision of King Leopold II, who sought to “embellish” Brussels with monumental architecture. Designed by architect Charles Girault as a triple-arched structure symbolising an open city and a gesture of welcome, it was inaugurated on 27 September 1905 – less than nine months after construction began -to mark the 75th anniversary of Belgian independence. Five years ago, on 8 March 2020, Braga’s colossal tapestry replaced the Belgian flag on the arch for a single day. With this intervention, the artist questioned the value of monuments, excessive pride, and the meaning of (national) representation. In 2030, for the bicentenary of Belgium, the arch will once again become a central symbol of national celebrations.

Grand urban projects are often tied to the notion of hubris – excessive pride, self-confidence, or arrogance that challenges established order and, in its original sense, the gods. The Brazilian artist confronts the megalomania of the Belgian king with her own monumental tapestry. The Triumphal Arch was one of Leopold II’s grand projects, and few people know that an earlier, single-arched version made entirely of wood was erected at his personal expense in the late 19th century. It can be seen on posters from the 1897 Brussels World’s Fair.

The work is made entirely by hand using textile techniques.

364 days of work (2,184 hours).

Around 200 kg of acrylic yarn were used.

The total weight of the work is 400 kg.

Dressed in a blue tracksuit, Elen lifts an Olympic discus above her head. Her pose evokes two mythological figures at once: Nut, the Egyptian goddess of the sky, whose body forms the celestial vault, and Nike, the Greek goddess of victory – a symbol of triumph and movement. Within the “Horizons” project in Hall 6 of Art Brussels, the tapestry takes on a new resonance: a celebration of feminism, of the feminine principle, and of women’s creative power.

45% of the works at the fair are created by women.

A conceptually compelling project at Art Brussels is “Not Everything Is for Sale”, featuring 15 galleries. The condition for participation was a minimum of 25 years of activity on the Belgian art scene. As a rule, gallerists – even if they did not initially intend to – end up building their own collections. Often, before becoming players in the art market, gallery owners were passionate art lovers, in other words, collectors. Their collections invariably include works they could never part with – short of plague, war, or total bankruptcy.

The exhibition, curated by Bernard Marcelis, invited each selected gallerist to choose such works from their personal collection and explain why. In this way, it indirectly sketches a portrait of how these gallerists understand their profession, revealing subtle connections between their work and their personal lives. Most of the selected pieces were created by artists whom the galleries still represent today. They span the period from 1958 to 2023.

Rodolphe Janssen’s choice – a painting by Marcel Maeyer – was his very first acquisition. It was this work that inspired his desire to become a gallery owner. By presenting a seminal work by Jeff Wall, Greta Meert highlights both the intellectual rigour of the piece and her memories of time spent with the artist. The same applies to Guy Pieters, who selected a work by César. In each case, works by particular artists have been, and remain – defining for the development of their galleries, occupying a central place in the vision of those who run them.