In Brussels, from 4 to 7 June 2026, despite a densely packed cultural programme, the project “The Rooms” drew significant attention by proposing a rethinking of the conventional art fair model. Initiated by art dealer Patrick Mestdagh and gallerist Sébastien Janssen, it took place in the iconic design hotel Mix Brussels.
Transforming more than thirty-five hotel rooms into individual exhibition spaces, the project brought together contemporary art, antiques and collectible design, which coexisted over the first weekend of June as part of a single cultural narrative.
In contrast to traditional art fairs with rows of standardised booths, The Rooms offered visitors a more personal and focused experience of engaging with artworks. Each room became an independent curatorial statement, retaining the atmosphere of a lived-in space while expressing the concept of the participating gallery or artist.
This format allowed for the avoidance of the visual overload typical of large international fairs and encouraged a more reflective mode of experiencing art.
Speaking of Mix Brussels, it is also worth mentioning one of the key figures in Belgian design, Lionel Jadot. The charismatic design director brought together more than fifty Belgian designers, artists and craftspeople to create the hotel interiors, most of whom were connected to the co-working studio platform he founded in 2018, Zaventem Ateliers.
Among the most striking interventions is the monumental brass sculpture Aquilon in the reception area, created by the duo Maison Jonckers (Alexandra and Grégoire Jonckers), which has become one of the visual symbols of the hotel.
In the rooms and public spaces, lighting pieces by Roxane Lahidji were installed, made from sea salt combined with natural resins and pigments, giving each object a unique marbled texture. The textile design for many of the rooms was developed by Krjst Studio, which created an extensive curtain system with a continuous graphic motif running throughout the hotel.
The interiors also feature furniture by Pierre Coddens and Thomas Serruys, while in the food market area the central element is a 157-metre cast-concrete bar designed by Bram Vanderbeke.
A further highlight is the collective Papier Boulettes, which created a 28-metre mural made from recycled cardboard for the meeting spaces.
Lionel Jadot himself acted as the author of the overall artistic concept and a significant part of the object design, transforming the former headquarters of La Royale Belge into the largest showroom for collectible design in Belgium and a manifesto of the collaborative creative approach he develops through Zaventem Ateliers.
Already familiar with the interiors of Mix Brussels and deeply appreciative of their atmosphere, I visited The Rooms for the first time and was able to fully appreciate the refined sensibility of Lionel Jadot’s team. I am planning to return with my husband to spend a couple of days there, including a visit to the spa area.
“The Rooms” also demonstrated a current tendency toward dialogue between different eras. Works of contemporary art were placed alongside antique objects and collectible design, showing how increasingly fluid the conventional categories of the art market have become.
Instead of being separated by historical periods, the emphasis was placed on the visual and conceptual interaction between works.
A key part of the programme was the morning discussion series Talks by Puilaetco. Experts addressed questions of art authentication, collection building, inheritance, and the protection of cultural assets. These sessions were aimed both at experienced collectors and at visitors interested in the mechanisms of the art market.
Restaurants such as Romeo, Joule and Timber naturally extended the exhibition experience, creating spaces for conversation and exchange of impressions.
“The Rooms” demonstrated a broader shift in the contemporary art world toward a more human scale and a deeper form of engagement with the viewer. The project moved away from the display of market spectacle in favour of an atmosphere of exploration, dialogue and personal discovery.
As a result, art was no longer presented in an impersonal exhibition hall, but in a room — a space where the encounter between artwork and viewer becomes more immediate and natural.
For Brussels, The Rooms became one of the most compelling cultural events of the season, showing that an art fair can exist as a fully-fledged cultural experience, bringing together art, architecture, design and everyday life.
