Must-See: Seven new galleries at our Brussels Fair

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Affordable Art Fair Brussels returns 5 – 9 February 2025, showcasing contemporary art from Belgium and beyond. Among the highlights are seven new galleries introducing cutting-edge artists that should head straight to the top of your must-see list. Check them out below!

MLVA Art Gallery (BE)

MLVA Art Gallery in Ghent, Belgium, is a platform created in 2023 for young, emerging artists from all over the world, where their unique visions and talents are shared with an international audience. The gallery is known for curating exhibitions that spotlight quality, figurative and colourful art. Each of the selected artists is a personal favourite of the founder Marie-Luca Van Assche – a real coup de cœur – chosen for both the artists’ work and personality.

You’ll be able to immerse yourself in Anne de Groot’s, aka Degann, paintings and watercolours that explore for phantoms, ‘the spirit’ and emotion. The artist explains: “Painting with Indian ink is a search for light, or rather, it’s all about preserving the light. I build the image with black ink on white paper, painting the shadows and depth while leaving the light untouched. It’s a fine balance between creating enough depth, but not doing too much. With the light simply being the naked paper in its natural white colour, there is no room for correction. Once the light is lost, it cannot be brought back.”

Another artist you’ll be invited to discover is Claire Aguilar who states: “The contours of my practice move between abstraction and realism. I look for otherness and the points of connection between these two languages. The line of sight always moves toward this ‘in-finitude’, a word that contracts an oxymoron within itself. I paint absence. What missing part leaves room for an existing story?”

Adrienne D – Ceramic Art (BE)

Based in Kortrijk, Belgium, Adrienne D – Ceramic Art specialises in contemporary ceramic works that are abstract, decorative, spatial, or architectural in nature. The gallery collaborates with both national and international professional ceramicists. The two masterminds Chantal Buyse and Guy Gadeyne founded the gallery back in 2020, fostering a vibrant community for ceramic art enthusiasts. In 2023, it was selected as a member of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC). The gallery hosts up to three exhibitions a year and actively participates in international art fairs.

For this year’s fair, the gallery will present the work of nine artists. Among them Ícaro Maiterena whose creative process is deeply rooted in the act of kneading. The Spanish artist finds his inspirations in the processes of mountain formation, the natural habitats and the ingenious architectural constructions of insects such as ants and bees and the impressive lava rivers that flow out of volcanoes and solidify layer by layer. You’ll also be invited to discover Luisa Maisel‘s large sculptural ‘vases’ in porcelain clay, with colourings in the mass that deform strongly during firing at a high temperature (1260°).

Doost Art (IR/NL)

We’re excited to welcome Doost Art to debut at this year’s fair. Founded in Tehran in 2022, Doost Art is a contemporary art space which expanded by opening a second gallery space in Amsterdam in 2023. Their mission is clear: to showcase contemporary art by emerging and established artists, primarily from Iran.

The gallery presents works in a diverse range of mediums including paintings, sculptures, installations and more by predominantly Iranian artists. Alireza Jahromi‘s work fuses Iranian miniature painting with contemporary art, depicting liberated women and flowing hair symbolising strength and freedom, alongside reflective men sitting in silence on the margins. His paintings foster a powerful dialogue between Eastern heritage and modern culture. Zahra Rezadoost uses charcoal and pencil, to create a world where simplicity emerges as the most beautiful element. She invites the viewer to immerse themselves in their calm and rediscover the splendor of everyday life. Leyla Khorshid Doost‘s paintings navigate the border between reality and dream.

Gala Fine Art (UK)

Gala Fine Art is a roving contemporary art gallery established in 2015 by Kate Bignold, who is based in Bristol, UK. It represents an exciting group of emerging, mid-career and established British and international fine artists at exhibitions, art fairs and online. All of Gala Fine Art’s artists are painters selected for their distinctive creative styles. Typically they juxtapose traditional painting techniques with additional processes, such as screen-printing, photographic transfer and collage, creating work that often boasts a cinematic quality and a strong photographic element. Whether their work is bold and vibrant or subtle and muted, each artist places considerable importance on colour.

You can expect to see some exciting works by Golnaz Afraz who draws inspiration from everyday scenes or moments from plays and films. She paints these realities in layers, blending different time frames and overlapping forms on the same surface. And Serena Curmi‘s stunning miniature paintings of mountains. Also be sure to check out Ella Carty‘s works, where her vibrant use of colour and pattern offers a unique interpretation of her surroundings. Striking a balance between representation and abstraction, she aims to ignite the viewer’s curiosity and imagination.

Atelier Louis (BE)

Atelier Louis, founded in 2020 by Sandra and Luc, wishes to introduce people to South African artists. Located in Belgium, the gallery provides a platform for both emerging and established South African artists. Its artists represent a variety of styles and artistic approaches, showcasing the diversity and vibrancy of South Africa’s contemporary art scene.

Visit their stand to discover works by, among others, Kilmany Jo Liversage who paints portraits by integrating graffiti and other techniques from street art. Cathy Abraham works systematically with repetitive gestures as a way of processing the patterns and traumas that mark our daily existence. The highly developed surfaces of her works explore the boundaries between reality, fantasy, and illusion.⁠ Or the work of Anina Deetlefs who draws her inspiration from everyday life experiences, including womanhood, relationships, childhood, memories, and cultural heritage.

Galerie r8m (DE)

Founded in 2020 by Robère Scholz, Galerie r8m shows contemporary, non-representational, international positions in painting, photography, generative art, sculpture and installation. With six to seven group and solo exhibitions each year, their focus is on an undogmatically understood Concrete Art, which stands for abstract art with no symbolic meaning. While a deeper understanding of figurative art often requires iconographic and art historical knowledge, Concrete Art requires no prior knowledge and is universally understandable.

Patrick Alexander Deventer, and NK Doege are just a few of the talented artists whose work will be exhibited on Galerie r8m’s stand during the fair in February, as well as Beti Bricelj, a Slovenian artist who’s work is based on geometric forms. These sophisticated grid systems are brought together with precision to capture the harmony between colour and form. Deventer’s work follows a similar structure, but rather he uses plexiglass as a core medium. His artworks often alter in appearance with the changing light, offering multiple palettes in a kinetic sense.

Michele Mariaud  (US)

Establised in 2005, Michele Mariaud Gallery, located in Belleport, New York, showcases a wide array of contemporary artworks, including photography, painting, and sculpture, and prides itself on cultivating an inclusive, approachable environment for art enthusiasts and collectors alike. The gallery emphasises artistic diversity, representing both emerging talents and established artists from around the globe.

Known for its innovative curations, the gallery emphasises vibrant, thought-provoking works that blend tradition with contemporary aesthetics. The collection often explores vibrant colours, textures, and storytelling, reflecting the dynamic spirit of the artists it represents. Its curatorial approach bridges artistic traditions with contemporary sensibilities, offering visitors a chance to experience art that is both visually captivating and deeply resonant.

Xan Padrón is one of many artists you’ll be invited to discover in the gallery’s stand during the fair. In his series ‘Time Lapse’, the artist sits on a single spot, unnoticed, for hours, photographing a sequence of people passing by against one unique background.

Other new galleries to our Brussels fair include Urbaneez (Lausanne, CH), Africa Colors Gallery (Brussels, BE), Pascale Vilain (Brussels, BE), Kunsthaus Artes (Berlin/Hanover, DE), Artigas Art Gallery (Barcelona, ES), quand les fleurs nous sauvent (Paris, France) and Young Art Hunters (Milan, IT). If you’re on the hunt for new artwork, then head to these fantastic newcomers at our fair in February 2025. It’s a great opportunity to grow your collection and find new favourite artists. 

Overall, we’ll have 90 Belgian and international galleries to explore at Tour & Taxis, alongside a packed programme. Make sure to secure your tickets!

Header image: Serena Curmi, Before Nightfall, 2024, oil on board, 20x13cm, €475, Gala Fine Art