Across 9 days, 122 exhibitors will represent 11 countries in over 14,000 square metres of exhibition area; thousands of exhibits, and objects tracing several millennia of art history – from antiquity to contemporary art, a thorough vetting process carried out by 120 experts, more than 40,000 visitors expected... BRAFA continues to consolidate its place as the flagship event in the Belgian art market.
Trends 2012
Exhibitors in majority come from Belgium and France, followed by Germany , Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Monaco, Spain, Canada , Portugal and Hungary. Among the trends in this new edition, we can point to a rather significant increase in XXth century decorative arts. Primitive arts remain one of the highlights of BRAFA. Admirers of XVIIIth century furniture as well as those whose taste tends more towards the ‘Haute Epoque’ will also be satisfied. Slightly down at previous editions, earthenware, porcelain and ceramics are making a bigcome back. Once again, there will be a very attractive and diverse selection of paintings.
Guest of Honour: the King Baudouin Foundation
This year, the King Baudouin Foundation will be taking over from the Mayer van den Bergh museum from Antwerp as Guest of Honour at BRAFA, more specifically, the King Baudouin Foundation Heritage Fund, which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in fitting style with an exceptional exhibition of a few key works from its collection of around 7,000 art works entrusted to 20 public institutions in Belgium: canvases by Henri Evenepoel, Fernand Khnopff and Jo Delahaut will be displayed alongside watercolours by Félicien Rops, silverware, sculptures and other antique tapestries.
A display focusing on light
Combining modernity with classic style, the decoration for the exhibition will focus on light, with a double visual effect. The Byzantine patterns on the carpets, inspired by the pavements of Amiens Cathedral, will vie with origami, giant birds and kites suspended from the roof, creating an eye-catching effect on both floor and ceiling.
A very ‘tweet’, ‘app’ and ‘face’ antiques fair
Contrary to popular belief, the antiques world gets on very well with new information technologies. Greater use will be made of the website, with the arrival of German, Russian and Chinese versions, as well as English, Dutch and French, helping to widen its audience. Already present on the Facebook social network, BRAFA will also be constantly accessible thanks to new iPhone and iPad applications. Finally, a virtual tour of the stands is available(http://www.brafa.be/Brafa-virtual-2012), including the option of zooming in on some of the exhibits.
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