26 JANUARY 2 FEBRUARY 2025

BRUSSELS EXPO | HEYSEL

VIDEOS


BRAFA Art Talk on Paul Delvaux by Camille Brasseur

The 2024 BRAFA Art Fair edition was all about surrealism. With the Paul Delvaux Foundation as guest of honour, the fair programme included an Art Talk given by Camille Brasseur, Director of the Foundation Paul Delvaux Museum, on Tuesday 30 January 2024.

Speaking about "Paul Delvaux (1897-1994). From Clear Dawn to the End of the Day", the lecture traced the development of Paul Delvaux's work throughout his early periods up to the emergence of his own style. It was an excellent opportunity to highlight the recurrence of themes dear to the artist and to establish links between the little-known early works and the masterpieces. The itinerary is an invitation to discover both the work and the man, since they are intrinsically linked.

Tune in and enjoy the registration of this BRAFA Art Talk, organised in partnership with the Paul Delvaux Foundation.

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BRAFA Art Talk 2023 with Prof. Dr. Werner Adriaenssens on Art Nouveau

The 2 February 2023 BRAFA Art Talk was hosted by Prof Dr Werner Adriaenssens, Curator of 20th Century Collections, Museum Art & History, Brussels, who spoke about the King Baudouin Foundation's Art Nouveau collection. Art Nouveau is the first true Belgian style that reached its peak around 1900. It is associated with architecture and decorative arts. Its main representatives include Victor Horta, Paul Hankar, Henry van de Velde and Philippe Wolfers. In more than 20 years, the King Baudouin Foundation has built up an important collection of Belgian Art Nouveau masterpieces. Each artwork has a fascinating history that is explained in its historical context.

Talk given in French, English subtitles.
Registration by ZOOM Production.

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BRAFA Art Talk 2023 with Benjamin Zurstrassen: on the birth of Art Nouveau

At the BRAFA Art Talk of 31 January 2023, Benjamin Zurstrassen, curator of the Horta Museum, analysed the reasons for the emergence of Art Nouveau. The unprecedented artistic and architectural form of expression in Brussels around 1893 was highlighted in terms of its identity, contradictions and difference from the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain. The birthdays and names of the major architectural styles often conceal nuances, secrets and explanations that raise the question of what Art Nouveau actually was, its manifestations and its protagonists.

Talk given in French, English subtitles.
Registration by ZOOM Production.

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Restoring Van Eyck: challenges of the Ghent Altarpiece

A BRAFA Art Talk by Hélène Dubois, the Head of the Project of the Conservation of the Ghent Altarpiece, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) Brussels. The lecture 'Restoring Van Eyck: challenges of the Ghent Altarpiece' was given at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Moscow on November 12th, 2019.

The event was organized by the BRAFA Art Fair and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Moscow in partnership with VISITFLANDERS.

The international BRAFA Art Fair offers many chances to discover artists, eras, artworks, famous art-world characters and to broaden our knowledge of art and the art market. Mark your calendar for the next BRAFA edition: Sunday, 26 January - Sunday, 2 February, 2020. www.brafa.art

On the cover: Mystic lamb, Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent © www.lukasweb.be — Art in Flanders vzw photo Dominique Provost

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MASTERPIECES FROM THE LARGEST FRENCH PRIVATE COLLECTION OF RAPHAËL WORKS

By Mathieu Deldicque, Cultural Heritage Curator at the Musée Condé, Domaine de Chantilly

The 500-year anniversary of Raphaël’s death is the perfect moment to rediscover the largest French collection of his works after the one held at the Louvre. The Condé Museum in Chantilly has the good fortune to have three important paintings and numerous drawings by the artist in its possession.

Each was acquired by the greatest French collector of the 19th century, Henri d’Orléans, the Duke of Aumale, who deeply admired Raphaël. We now know much more about not only his motivation for collecting these artworks, but also the way he obtained them, the intermediaries he employed and the competition he faced. Since their acquisition, and even now as an exhibition is being prepared for spring 2020, the treasures of Chantilly keep revealing their secrets.

The Duke of Aumale was unaware, for example, that a third painting by the artist was hiding in his collection: it was not in the Getty collection but in Chantilly that the original Madonna of Loreto was discovered in the 1970s! The story of this revelation will be followed by an account of more recent discoveries that have been made about the paintings and drawings by Raphaël held at Chantilly.

Video by Biapal

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Conversation with Robert Wilson

Robert Wilson is an American playwright, artist and collector
Conversation conducted by Christiane Struyven, Art Historian and honorary lawyer

During this conversation, Robert Wilson shares his experiences in theatre and the visual arts. Born in Waco, Texas, Robert Wilson is one of the world’s foremost theatre and visual artists. His works for the stage are unconventional, integrating a wide variety of artistic media, including dance, movement, light, sculpture, music and text. Aesthetically striking and emotionally charged, his images and productions have been acclaimed by audiences and critics worldwide.

Having been educated at the University of Texas and Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, Robert Wilson founded the New York-based performance collective ‘The Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds’ in the mid-1960s, and developed his first signature works, including Deafman Glance (1970) and A Letter for Queen Victoria (1974-1975). He wrote the seminal opera Einstein on the Beach (1976) with Philip Glass. This talk was presented in partnership with the BERNIER/ELIADES Gallery in Brussels.

Language: ENG
Video produced by Matthieu Wolmark of BIAPAL

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Van Eyck. An Optical Revolution

By Till-Holger Borchert, Director of the Musea Brugge and Co-curator of the exhibition of the same name at the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent
Language of the talk: ENG

In this talk, Till-Holger Borchert discussed the preparations and research underway for the largest Jan van Eyck exhibition ever. Only about twenty works by this Flemish master have been preserved worldwide. At least half of them travelled to Ghent in 2020 for the exhibition Van Eyck. An Optical Revolution at the Fine Arts Museum in Ghent that took place from 1 February until it had to close earlier than planned (30 April 2020) due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The masterpiece at the centre of the exhibition was without doubt the Retable of the Mystic Lamb which has undergone extensive study and restoration since 2012. In order to ensure visitors could fully appreciate Van Eyck’s revolutionary optical approach, his paintings were shown next to about a hundred works by great artists working at the same time as him from Germany, Spain, France and Italy.

This talk was organized in partnership with CODART, the international network of museum curators specialising in Flemish and Dutch painting. Till-Holger Borchert has been a member of CODART since 2001.

The video was produced by Matthieu Wolmark of the non-profit association Biapal.

Image:
Jan and Hubert van Eyck, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, 1432, Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent © www.lukasweb.be - Art in Flanders vzw

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Keith Haring

By Darren Pih & Alberta Sessa, Curators of the Keith Haring retrospective at BOZAR (06/12/19 → 19/04/2020). Darren Pih is Curator at Tate Liverpool and Alberta Sessa is Curatorial Project Coordinator at BOZAR.
Language of the talk: ENG

On the occasion of an extensive retrospective organized by Tate Liverpool and presented by BOZAR, Darren Pih and Alberta Sessa will discuss the work of the iconic American artist and activist Keith Haring (1958-1990). The artist emerged as part of the vibrant New York art scene of the 1980s. He produced a large body of work: large-scale drawings and paintings, videos, collages, posters, painted objects and murals. He was actively engaged in various battles that targeted drugs, HIV/AIDS, apartheid and the nuclear arms race. Keith Haring believed that art truly should be for everyone. For him, the city streets and subways in New York City were legitimate spaces for showing art. In October 1986, Haring was invited to paint the west side of the Berlin Wall by a group monitoring human rights violations in East Germany. The result is a work depicting an interconnected chain of his signature figures in the colours of the German flag. An overt political statement, the mural is an ‘attempt to psychologically destroy the wall by painting it’.

Video produced by Matthieu Wolmark of Biapal.

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BRAFA Art Talk 2019 on Bernard van Orley - Brussels and the Renaissance

The BRAFA Art Talk of 30 January 2019 was held by Dr. Véronique Bücken, Head of the Old Masters Painting section of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and Dr. Ingrid De Meûter, Curator of Tapestries and Textiles, Art & History Museum Brussels on the emblematic figure of the Flemish Renaissance, Bernard van Orley (circa 1488-1541).

Bernard van Orley was one of the pivotal figures of the Renaissance in the Low Countries, painter at the court of Marguerite d'Autriche, Marie de Hongrie and Charles Quint, for whom he created portraits, designed tapestries and stained glass windows. His art, initially profoundly anchored in the Brussels’ tradition, transformed under the combined influence of Raphaël and Dürer. Although he never travelled, he left a lasting mark on the Brussels painting and tapestry schools.

From 20th February 2019, BOZAR presents, in collaboration with the MRBAB and the MRAH, the first monographic exhibition ever dedicated to Bernard van Orley – Brussels and the Renaissance. A unique opportunity to rediscover this great master. On until 26th May 2019.

This video is a registration of the BRAFA Art Talk; the first part is held in French and the second in Dutch.

Video by Biapal

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BRAFA and IN ARTIBUS present: Miraculous Michaelina Wautier. If Rubens was a woman?

On October 13th, the IN ARTIBUS Foundation and the BRAFA Art Fair were delighted to have Prof. Dr. Katlijne Van der Stighelen (KU Leuven), who lectured on 'Miraculous Michaelina Wautier (1604-1689). If Rubens was a woman?’.

Katlijne Van der Stighelen curated the first exhibition on the 17th century painter Michaelina Wautier and her younger brother Charles Wautier (1609 -1703), after this enigmatic brother-sister pair had been forgotten for centuries. The exhibition was staged at the Antwerp Museum aan de Stroom (MAS), in collaboration with the Rubens House.

Very little is known about Michaelina Wautier herself. Her life is barely documented. Born in Mons, this artist moved to Brussels soon after 1640, together with her brother Charles. Both remained unmarried and lived in a stately town house near the Chapel Church. Michaelina distinguishes herself from her female counterparts due to her focus on many different genres. Besides taking on portraits and genre paintings, she also turned her hand to large format historical pieces – a challenge that even many male painters resisted. She effortlessly portrayed religious themes and mythological scenes. She observed everyday reality and painted both poignant children's portraits and astonishing and interesting figures.

The BRAFA organisation would like to thank the IN ARTIBUS Foundation and its founder Inna Bazhenova, Prof. Dr. Katlijne Van der Stighelen, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Moscow, VISIT FLANDERS and BRAFA's representative in Russia Ekaterina Limonad for their support.

BRAFA is one of the leading European art and antiques fairs. Here, all art works on show are for sale and quality and authenticity are two of the key requirements exhibitors face. BRAFA is an eclectic fair which encompasses a variety of specialities, from antiquity to the 21st century. BRAFA 2019 opens from 26 January - 3 February at Tour & Taxis, in Brussels, Belgium. Learn more on BRAFA and the BRAFA Art Talks at www.brafa.art

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Pieter Bruegel Art Talk by Christina Currie presented in Moscow by the In Artibus Foundation and BRAFA

On October 26th, 2018, Bruegel expert Dr. Christina Currie, Head of Scientific Imagery at KIK-IRPA, lectured on 'Pieter Bruegel and his artistic progeny' at the In Artibus Foundation in Moscow. Russian collectors, art experts and museum curators thoroughly enjoyed Mrs Currie's lecture, revealing the secrets behind the successful Bruegel dynasty...

The BRAFA organisation would like to thank Dr. Christina Currie and the KIK-IRPA, the In Artibus Foundation and its founder Inna Bazhenova, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Moscow, VISIT FLANDERS and BRAFA's representative in Russia Ekaterina Limonad for their support.

BRAFA is one of the leading European art and antiques fairs. Here, all art works on show are for sale and quality and authenticity are two of the key requirements exhibitors face. BRAFA is an eclectic fair which encompasses a variety of specialities, from antiquity to the 21st century...

BRAFA 2019 opens from 26 January - 3 February at Tour & Taxis, in Brussels, Belgium.

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BRAFA Art Talk 2019 on Pieter Bruegel by Prof. Dr. Manfred Sellink

2019 is the Bruegel year and calls for a lecture by one of the internationally renowned specialists on the artist. In this BRAFA Art Talk, Prof. Dr. Manfred Sellink, General Director and Head Curator of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Antwerp, unveils the most recent discoveries made during research carried out at the Historical Museum of Vienna in the course of the large-scale Bruegel exhibition organised there from 2 October 2018 – 13 January 2019.

Since 2018, BRAFA supports CODART, the international network of Flemish and Dutch visual arts curators. Manfred Sellink has been an active participant since the beginning, and was a member of the board of directors from 2008 to 2017.

Language: NL with English subtitels
In partnership with CODART
Video produced by Matthieu Wolmark BIAPAL

BRAFA loves culture, and loves to share it!
BRAFA has joined forces with the non-profit association BIAPAL to organize the BRAFA ART TALKS by renowned art-world personalites who specialize in curating or in the art market. They take turns to share their knowledge and expertise on diverse and fascinating subjects.

The international BRAFA Art Fair offers many chances to discover artists, eras, artworks, famous art-world characters and to broaden our knowledge of art and the art market. Mark your calendar for the next BRAFA edition: Sunday, 26 January - Sunday, 2 February, 2020. www.brafa.art

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BRAFA Art Talk 2019 on Post-constructivism or the origins of Soviet Art Deco by Kristina Krasnyanskaya

Kristina Krasnyanskaya is a Curator, Head of the Thessaloniki State Museum of Contemporary Art Trustees Board, corresponding member of the International Academy of Culture and Art and the owner and founder of the Heritage Gallery. On January 28th, 2019, she gave a BRAFA Art Talk on 'Post-constructivism or the origins of Soviet Art Deco'.

The period associated with Soviet Art Deco is relatively short: 1932-1937. The style originated through the exchange of ideas with the West (especially France and the United States) and it was shaped by Russian avant-garde influences. Soviet Art Deco combined constructivist architectural ideas with the decorative approach of the future Soviet Empire style, while differing from both trends. The style not only left a unique architectural heritage, it was also reflected in interior design, fashion and furniture design and was taken up by renowned architects and artists such as B. Iofan, A. Rodchenko, A. Schusev, A. Dushkin, K. Melnikov, I. Golosov, B. Smirnov, A. Deyneka and A. Damsky.

Language: Russian with simultaneous translation in English
Alexey Schusev - project of Palace of the Soviets.
Video produced by Matthieu Wolmark of BIAPAL

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A conversation with Gilbert & George at BRAFA 2019

The international BRAFA Art Fair proudly welcomed the British duo Gilbert & George at its 2019 edition. The internationally renowned artists are known for their fiercely singular Anti-Art that is poetic, primal and emotionally driven. As Guest of Honour, Gilbert & George presented five large-scale works at the fair. Their humorous side brought colour and dynamism to BRAFA which aimed to promote, more than ever, the idea that ‘Art is for all’, as Gilbert & George themselves have always upheld.

On Thursday 24 January, BRAFA visitors attended a very special lecture by Gilbert & George, in conversation with author Michael Bracewell, about their ‘life in art’, creative process, the evolution of imagery in their pictures, and how their art aims to seduce the viewer with visual power.

In partnership with BOZAR.
Video produced by Matthieu Wolmark of Biapal.

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Angela Rosengart, a life devoted to art!

Conversation with Roger-Pierre Turine, art critic for La Libre Belgique
Angela Rosengart, daughter of the internationally renowned art dealer Siegfried Rosengart (1894-1985), was a regular visitor of the studios of artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque and Miro from childhood. She and her father built up one of the most important private collections of 20th century masterpieces in the world, uniting over 350 artworks including a number by Klee and Picasso. Gathered together in a foundation which became a museum in 2002 in Lucerne, the collection attracts thousands of visitors.
Video produced by BIAPAL
Language: FR

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Oceania, Travels through the Immensity

By Nicolas Cauwe, Curator of the Prehistoric and Oceanic collections at the Royal Museums of Art and History and of the exhibition ‘Oceania’
Oceania was one of the last areas discovered by the Europeans. A few daring expeditions took place in the 15th and 16th centuries but these scattered islands in the south Pacific were only really explored in the 18th century. With the exception of large land masses like Australia and New Zealand, the southern seas only offered the Europeans small colonies which were seemingly poor in natural resources. Barely any trace is left of the material creations of the first inhabitants, but from the 18th century, the discovery of artefacts began to unveil the richness and originality of the first settlers. Nicolas Cauwe will discuss these first explorers, artisans of the greatest maritime legend of all time.
Video produced by BIAPAL
Language: FR

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Magritte, Broodthaers & Contemporary art

By Michel Draguet, General Director of the Royal Museums of Belgium
Fifty years after his death, René Magritte still fascinates us. Mysterious and interrogative, his work questions our views and challenges our certainties. His work has influenced all sorts of movements, from pop art to conceptual art, and he continues to intrigue and inspire the artistic world today. Michel Draguet discusses Magritte’s legacy, focusing on the different ways he inspired so many artists, such as Marcel Broodthaers, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, César, Sean Landers, David Altmejd, George Condo, and Gavin Turk.
Video produced by BIAPAL
Languages: FR & NL

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MATISSE AND THE NORTHERN PAINTERS

By Dominique Szymusiak, Honorary Curator at the Matisse Museum of Cateau-Cambrésis
Matisse was born on 31 December 1869 in Cateau-Cambrésis in northern France. Born in region characterised by its grey, subdued palette, he nonetheless became famous for the beauty of his colours. The textile-making tradition of this region inspired his taste for texture and coloured motifs. Flanders is also, of course, the home of Memling, Van Eyck and other Flemish Primitive painters who left Matisse a legacy of sumptuous colour and texture. Rembrandt, Rubens and Grünewald also had an important influence on him. Looking at the work of these northern painters reveals his creative roots.
Language: FR
Video produced by Biapal

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The new MEG (Ethnographic Museum of Geneva): a story of collections, passion and works of art - part 1 (FR)

By Boris Wastiau, Director of the MEG
The new MEG is the most recently created museum in Geneva. With a rich collection of over 70.000 objects from 1500 cultures spread across the five continents, it has struck a chord with both the public and specialists. But why gather so many exotic objects together in town - and country - that never had any colonies? From the cabinet of curiosities from the library of Calvin College to international Geneva, the talk given by the director of the MEG, who is also honorary Professor of religious African art at the University of Geneva, will encompass three centuries of collection and diverse museum projects.
In partnership with Tribal Art Magazine
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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The new MEG (Ethnographic Museum of Geneva): a story of collections, passion and works of art - part 2 (FR)

By Boris Wastiau, Director of the MEG.
The new MEG is the most recently created museum in Geneva. With a rich collection of over 70.000 objects from 1500 cultures spread across the five continents, it has struck a chord with both the public and specialists. But why gather so many exotic objects together in town - and country - that never had any colonies? From the cabinet of curiosities from the library of Calvin College to international Geneva, the talk given by the director of the MEG, who is also honorary Professor of religious African art at the University of Geneva, will encompass three centuries of collection and diverse museum projects.
In partnership with Tribal Art Magazine
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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From Floris to Rubens - Great Master drawings from a Belgian private collection (NL/FR)

By Stefaan Hautekeete, Curator of the collection of ancient drawings at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

Talk in regard of the exhibition featuring 90 drawings by artists from the southern and northern Netherlands dating from the 16th and early 17th centuries, one of the most extraordinary periods in the history of draughtsmanship. They were assembled with great care by a collector. In addition to beautiful sketches for prints, paintings, and tapestries by great masters such as Frans Floris and Peter Paul Rubens, other drawings include figures studies by Hendrick Goltzius and Cornelis De Vos. The majority of the selected drawings have never shown to the public before. The talk will be conducted in the presence of the collector. Introduction by Dominique Allard, Director of the King Baudouin Foundation.
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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The most valuable of all ancient coins is to be found in Brussels! (FR)

By François de Callataÿ, Head of Department at the Royal Library of Belgium and member of the Royal Academy of Belgium
Belgium is the proud possessor of the tetradrachm of Aitna, which was created in Sicily about 460BC, and is the ancient coin most highly prized by collectors today. Given to the Royal Belgian Library's Cabinet of Coins and Medals, it belonged to the unrivalled collection of Greek coins built up by Lucien de Hirsch (1856-1887), the only son of Maurice de Hirsch de Gereuth, one of the richest men of his time. This talk will cover all aspects of the coin's worldwide fame (conversation, engraving, iconography, historical interest).
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza

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Carbon-14 dating in art - From fake objects to false assumptions

By Emmanuel Vartanian, Physicist at Re.S.Artes Laboratory (A Scientific Approach to Art and Cultural Heritage, Bordeaux) and Celine Roque, Art historian, Re.S.Artes Laboratory
Carbon-14 dating has regularly been used to authenticate art objects, and has proved its worth as a tool for identifying fakes made from modern materials. Faced with the constant refinement of forgery techniques however, this method has its limitations, and a constant dialogue has to be kept up between scientists and art-world experts. Following questions posed by certain problematic objects, some erroneous ideas began to circulate, and a number of false underlying assumptions came to light. Emmanuel Vartanian and Céline Roque will confront these with scientific fact and unveil some new advances that enable them to be overcome…
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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History of the African collections of the quai Branly Museum (FR)

By Hélène Joubert, Head curator responsible for the African Heritage Collections of the quai Branly Museum
The quai Branly museum has been quick to follow in the footsteps of the Louvre, Beaubourg and the Musée d’Orsay, and is now one of the greatest French museums. The museum’s fame rests on the richness and diversity of its collections, which have been created and enriched over the years by explorers, adventurers, businessmen, missionaries, soldiers, administrators, ethnologists, researchers, collectors, art-lovers, curators and art dealers. These collective and individual contributions have shaped the museum’s unique character, and confirmed its position in 19th to 21st century history. This talk will retrace the history of these acquisitions from 1878 to the present day.
In partnership with TRIBAL ART Magazine
Avec le soutien du Service culturel de l’Ambassade de France en Belgique
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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Informal chat about the world of diamonds, precious stones and jewellery by Jean Boghossian and Christian Vrouyr - Language: FR/ENG

By Jean Boghossian, jeweller, artist and patron and Christian Vrouyr, General Secretary of BRAFA
Diamonds, rubies, emeralds... The eternal beauty of precious stones. This discussion will delve into the career and secrets of a true professional, an open conversation about the world of diamonds, precious stones and jewellery, illustrated with personal anecdotes and memories.
In partnership with Tendencias del Mercado del Arte
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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The restoration of the Mystic Lamb - Part 1 (ENG/FR/NL)

By Anne van Grevenstein-Kruse, Professor Emeritus of conservation and restoration at the University of Amsterdam
The altarpiece of the Mystic Lamb by the van Eyck brothers (1432) is not
only extraordinary for its beauty, but also for the eventfulness of its existence.
Since the 1950s, the conservation and restoration treatments carried out on it
have enabled researchers to study the altarpiece in detail, and new techniques of examination and analysis have uncovered completely unexpected facets of this magnificent work of art. The current restoration project has already given us a far more accurate vision of the work as a whole, and has begun to reveal the full splendour of the van Eyck brothers’ work. Anne van Grevenstein-Kruse and Livia Depuydt-Elbaum will discuss the discoveries they have made.
In partnership with De Standaard / La Libre Belgique
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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The restoration of the Mystic Lamb - Part 2 (ENG/FR/NL)

By Livia Depuydt-Elbaum, Head restorer of the Mystic Lamb at the Royal Institute of Art Heritage
The altarpiece of the Mystic Lamb by the van Eyck brothers (1432) is not
only extraordinary for its beauty, but also for the eventfulness of its existence.
Since the 1950s, the conservation and restoration treatments carried out on it
have enabled researchers to study the altarpiece in detail, and new techniques of examination and analysis have uncovered completely unexpected facets of this magnificent work of art. The current restoration project has already given us a far more accurate vision of the work as a whole, and has begun to reveal the full splendour of the van Eyck brothers’ work. Anne van Grevenstein-Kruse and Livia Depuydt-Elbaum will discuss the discoveries they have made.
In partnership with De Standaard / La Libre Belgique
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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Drawing in silver & gold: Dutch & Flemish metalpoint drawings from the 15th to the 17th (ENG)

By An Van Camp, Curator of Dutch and Flemish Drawings and Prints at the British Museum in London
Metalpoint was a technique widely used by Flemish Renaissance artists
such as Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden and Gerard David, whose works
are admired worldwide for their precision and genius. The technique results in delicate and often very detailed drawings, and was still used in the 16th century, notably by Rembrandt, before being progressively abandoned from the late 17th century. This talk will provide an overview of metalpoint illustrated by a selection of emblematic drawings that will figure in an upcoming exhibition to be held in Washington and London.
In partnership with Apollo
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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Rearranging the furniture – a new perspective at the Victoria & Albert Museum <br /> By Nick Humphrey <br /> Language: ENG

By Nick Humphrey, Curator of Furniture 1400-1700, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Since 2001, the Victoria & Albert in London has gradually transformed
its galleries of design and decorative art. The newest gallery, devoted to
Western Furniture, took a radical approach : it is the only gallery in the world
to examine the techniques of construction and decoration comprehensively,
from ancient developments such as intarsia to the most recent 3D printing.
Nick Humphrey, co-curator of the gallery, will explain how it came about
and explore some of its most fascinating contents.
In partnership with The Antiques Trade Gazette
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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Picasso and eroticism: a scandalous exhibition ? Part 1 (FR)

By Dominique Dupuis-Labbé, Head of acquisitions, restoration, conservation and research, general director of cultural heritage in the collections division, the French museum board
Eroticism runs through Picasso’s work, where artistic creation and sexual instinct often interconnect. From the series of drawings devoted to brothels dating from 1899 and 1900, to the sepulchral embraces of the 1970s, Picasso never stopped exploring the sexual tension between men and women, playing with the boundary between eroticism and pornography and experimenting with representations of the body. Dominique Dupuis-Labbé, organizer of the emblematic exhibition Picasso érotique, shown in Paris in 2001, will explore the subject through a selection of Picasso’s key works.
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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Picasso and eroticism: a scandalous exhibition? Part 2 (FR)

By Dominique Dupuis-Labbé, Head of acquisitions, restoration, conservation and research, general director of cultural heritage in the collections division, the French museum board
Eroticism runs through Picasso’s work, where artistic creation and sexual
instinct often interconnect. From the series of drawings devoted to brothels
dating from 1899 and 1900, to the sepulchral embraces of the 1970s, Picasso
never stopped exploring the sexual tension between men and women, playing with the boundary between eroticism and pornography and experimenting with representations of the body. Dominique Dupuis-Labbé, organizer of the emblematic exhibition Picasso érotique, shown in Paris in 2001, will explore the subject through a selection of Picasso’s key works.
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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Treasures to hand down, wonderful stories to share by François Schuiten and Dominique Allard - Languages: FR/NL

By François Schuiten, comic book artist and scenographer and
Dominique Allard, Director of the King Baudouin Foundation
The King Baudouin Foundation’s devotion to the transmission of cultural heritage is encapsulated by the works of Victor Horta, François Schuiten and Didier Comès that it is exhibiting this year. The Foundation has invited François Schuiten to discuss his own story with you : Why donate ? What difficulties has the group encountered ? Dominique Allard, director of the King Baudouin Foundation, will share his experience of working with the Foundation’s collection.
In partnership with La Libre Belgique – Trends – Trends Tendances
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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Thoughts on the iconography of a Luba mask from the collections of the Royal Museum of Central Africa (FR)

By Dr. Julien Volper, art historian, researcher and assistant curator of the section of ethnography at the RMCA in Tervuren. The famous horned helmet mask collected by Oscar Michaux in the 1890s
is one of the most important pieces in the collection of the Royal Museum
for Central Africa. Many questions are raised by this work of mysterious
beauty. In his lecture, Julien Volper will develop a number of themes
arising from his detailed study of the mask.
In partnership with Tribal Art Magazine
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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The Enchanted Pose rediscovered: when a Magritte hides a Magritte by Michael Duffy and Danielle Johnson - Language: ENG

By Michael Duffy, Painting Conservator, and Danielle Johnson, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Painting and Sculpture - Museum of Modern Art, New York
During the preparation of the exhibition ‘Magritte: The Mystery of the
Ordinary, 1926-1938’, held in New York until January 2014, the MOMA
team found a hidden Magritte under another Magritte. After scientific
studies and graphic comparisons, MOMA and the Art Institute of
Chicago were able to assign these hidden fragments to a painting called
‘La Pose enchantée’ (‘The Enchanted Pose’) (1927). The adventure did
not stop there because there are still two fragments, hidden in existing
collections. This painting can only be recomposed in its integrity when
these are found. Michael Duffy, the restorer who discovered this hidden
treasure, and Danielle Johnson, assistant curator of the department
of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art will come
from New York specifically to share this adventure that led to the
identification of these fragments of ‘La Pose enchantée’.
In partnership with Le Vif/L’Express – Knack
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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Living with Style (FR/NL)

By Axel Vervoordt, gallery owner, antique dealer, interior designer...
Axel Vervoordt is considered one of the most original and adventurous collectors and dealers of our time. His is known worldwide for the extraordinary design of his stands at major international exhibitions and his curation of exhibitions in Venice. He appreciates the universal and timeless quality in art, and has a particular gift for creating relationships between art objects. His business has grown into an international company with 100 employees specializing not only in art and antiques, but also in interior design. The company now has its own Home Collection and a contemporary art gallery. In his lecture at BRAFA he will elaborate on 30 images from his exhibitions, reviving the Vlaeykensgang in Antwerp and the castle of Gravenwezel. He will share with us his passion for life with art.
In partnership with COLLECT AAA
© Biapal.com with the generosity of Brussels Airlines and Hotel Le Plaza Brussels

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