Brussels Exhibitor Guide

Whether you’re thinking about exhibiting at Affordable Art Fair Brussels, or have already signed up to showcase your artists, this blog is a glimpse at what to expect when exhibiting in the political capital of Europe.

Read on to find out more about the dynamic, cutting-edge Brussels fair.

Why Brussels?

Taking place at the stunning Tour & Taxis, our most recent edition saw over 20,000 art-lovers head home with over €3m worth of art. For our 85 exhibitors this meant average art sales per exhibitor of over €35,000 and thousands of new connections made with our culture-loving crowd. A lot of business gets done in Brussels!

This is, in part, down to the rich history of appreciating art in Belgium. Here you can be prescribed a museum visit by your medical doctor and people wear their respect for the role of art in society with pride. Affordable Art Fair launched in Brussels in 2009 and has grown to become one of the most treasured events in the city’s cultural calendar.

Brussels is also an incredibly international city. Home to the European Commission and many multi-national corporations, here you’ll discover a fair full of well-travelled visitors, many from across the world with an appetite for fresh perspectives. You never know who you might meet here – The Prime Minister of Luxembourg bought several artworks at our most recent edition!

First impressions of the fair

Tour & Taxis is one of the best venues of all global Affordable Art Fairs (if we do say so ourselves). Full of historical charm, the former tram depot has stunning natural daylight which shows art at its best and the surrounding area is known for being one of the coolest, up-and-coming areas in Belgium.

The fair’s exhibitors and programming reflect the multi-faceted character of the city. As well as a broad selection of styles, mediums and techniques presented by the participating galleries, you’ll notice the fair bustles with interactive features, workshops and special projects. These are all carefully curated to attract media coverage and create the dynamic marketing content and visitor experience that has had visitors, galleries and sponsors returning again and again over the last 15 years.

Who are our audience?

Brussels’ visitors have an irresistible charm. They’re culture lovers, highly educated, they’re also curious and unpretentious. They appreciate exhibitors who share their deeply felt respect for culture and you can expect to have enriching, engaging conversations with them. We consistently see in our survey results that our Brussels audience want to improve their understanding of art, they’re come to the fair looking to learn as well as buy.

Our audience is also pretty special in the communication department. We operate in three languages here in Brussels: French, Flemish and English. The Belgians don’t tend to experience the same insecurity many other nationalities feel speaking a second-language so even if you only speak one of these a little, you will find yourself easily building connections with our visitors.

Fair Director Blythe Bolton’s top tips for success:

• Be collaborative: work with your artists and our team to put forward the best application and presentation for the fair.
• Get ready for questions: our audience wants to receive engaging information from you so make sure you’re open and available to share your passion for your artists with them.

Main image: An aerial shot of Affordable Art Fair Brussels’ iconic venue, Tour & Taxis.