BRAFA ART Talks
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BRAFA loves culture, and loves to share it !
BRAFA has joined forces with the non-profit association BIAPAL to organize these BRAFA ART TALKS. Daily at 4 pm, you are invited to attend a talk by a renowned art-world personality who specializes in curating or in the art market. They will take turns to share their knowledge and expertise on diverse and fascinating subjects. So many chances to discover artists, eras, artworks, famous art-world characters and to broaden your knowledge of art and the art market!
Free Access. Daily at 4 pm at the Brafa Lounge ( stand 46 a )
Monday 27/01 at 3 pm
Watch the BRAFA Art Talks by clicking here
PROGRAMME
Download the full programme
26/01/2020
Keith Haring
By Darren Pih and 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
On the occasion of an extensive retrospective organised 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.’
Language: ENG
Keith Haring paints mural on Berlin Wall, 1986 © Patrick Piel
Alberta Sessa © Yannick Sas
Darren Pih is Curator at Tate Liverpool and Alberta Sessa is Curatorial Project Coordinator at BOZAR
On the occasion of an extensive retrospective organised 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.’
Language: ENG
Keith Haring paints mural on Berlin Wall, 1986 © Patrick Piel
Alberta Sessa © Yannick Sas
27/01/2020
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 talk, Robert Wilson will share his experiences in theatre and the visual arts. Born in Waco, Texas, 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, 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.
Talk presented in partnership with the BERNIER/ELIADES Gallery in Brussels.
Language: ENG
Robert Wilson © Hsu Ping
Robert Wilson (Waco, Texas, 1941), Untitled, 2018 - 2019, Video, 75” screen
Conversation conducted by Christiane Struyven, Art Historian and honorary lawyer
During this talk, Robert Wilson will share his experiences in theatre and the visual arts. Born in Waco, Texas, 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, 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.
Talk presented in partnership with the BERNIER/ELIADES Gallery in Brussels.
Language: ENG
Robert Wilson © Hsu Ping
Robert Wilson (Waco, Texas, 1941), Untitled, 2018 - 2019, Video, 75” screen
28/01/2020
Masterpieces from Chantilly, the largest private collection of works by Raphaël in France
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 de Chantilly Museum 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.
Language: FR
Raphael, La Vierge de Lorette © RMN-Grand Palais Domaine de Chantilly-Harry Bréjat
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 de Chantilly Museum 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.
Language: FR
Raphael, La Vierge de Lorette © RMN-Grand Palais Domaine de Chantilly-Harry Bréjat
29/01/2020
Gems from the collection of the King Baudouin Foundation. Recent Discoveries. New Acquisitions
By Dominique Allard, Director Heritage Fund at the King Baudouin Foundation
Created in 1987 at the heart of the King Badouin Foundation, the Heritage Fund buys or accepts as donations artworks, archives and important documents created in our country. Its aim is to increase their accessibility and ensure they are passed on to future generations. Today, the Heritage Fund counts about 21,560 artworks and 22 archives which have been leant to dozens of museums. Recent acquisitions include: a unique collection of models of locomotives, cars and wagons currently at Train World; the rapier given by Charles the 1st of England to Rubens at the Grand Curtis Museum in Liège; a collection of furniture by the architect and designer Gustave Serrurier-Bovy at the Art and History Museum in Brussels; an exceptional desk by the furniture and interior designer Jules Wabbes at the Ghent Design Museum and a rare Mechelen cup made from coconut at the Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen. During this talk, Dominique Allard will unveil the latest surprising discoveries and new acquisitions, recounting some captivating stories…
Languages: FR & NL
Jacques de Vitry facial reconstruction © Visualforensic/Philippe Froesch
Owl cup, Antwerp, 1548 - 1549, collection of the King Baudouin Foundation, entrusted to DIVA, Antwerp © Hughes Dubois
Created in 1987 at the heart of the King Badouin Foundation, the Heritage Fund buys or accepts as donations artworks, archives and important documents created in our country. Its aim is to increase their accessibility and ensure they are passed on to future generations. Today, the Heritage Fund counts about 21,560 artworks and 22 archives which have been leant to dozens of museums. Recent acquisitions include: a unique collection of models of locomotives, cars and wagons currently at Train World; the rapier given by Charles the 1st of England to Rubens at the Grand Curtis Museum in Liège; a collection of furniture by the architect and designer Gustave Serrurier-Bovy at the Art and History Museum in Brussels; an exceptional desk by the furniture and interior designer Jules Wabbes at the Ghent Design Museum and a rare Mechelen cup made from coconut at the Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen. During this talk, Dominique Allard will unveil the latest surprising discoveries and new acquisitions, recounting some captivating stories…
Languages: FR & NL
Jacques de Vitry facial reconstruction © Visualforensic/Philippe Froesch
Owl cup, Antwerp, 1548 - 1549, collection of the King Baudouin Foundation, entrusted to DIVA, Antwerp © Hughes Dubois
30/01/2020
Crossroads. Travelling through the Middle Ages
By Britt Claes & Alexandra Van Puyvelde, Curators of the exhibition of the same name at the Art & History Museum (27/09/2019 → 29/03/2020). Britt Claes is Conservator a.i. of the Medieval Archaeological Collections and Alexandra Van Puyvelde is Scientific Collaborator in the Art of the Islamic World & Art of Eastern Christianity Collections at the Art & History Museum
The exhibition Crossroads. A journey through the Middle Ages, currently held at the Art & History Museum, focuses on the Early Middle Ages (300-1000) in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, a period of great change. From the 3rd century and particularly after the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476), Europe faced a huge migration of people from the East, which we know about primarily through the discovery of grave goods. Thanks to the durability of the Roman road network and the reach of river routes, movement was comparatively easy throughout Europe and Asia. Conflicts, trade, diplomacy and marriages created diverse forms of contact and exchange in terms of culture, knowledge, ideas and religious practices. The Eastern Roman Empire held until 1453. Greco-Roman heritage survives, and continues to inspire both the East and the West today.
Languages: FR & NL
Golden disk fibula with garnet inlays, Marilles (Belgium), end of 6th-beginning of 7th century, Art & History Museum © KMKG-MRAH
Left: Britt Claes
Right: Alexandra Van Puyvelde
The exhibition Crossroads. A journey through the Middle Ages, currently held at the Art & History Museum, focuses on the Early Middle Ages (300-1000) in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, a period of great change. From the 3rd century and particularly after the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476), Europe faced a huge migration of people from the East, which we know about primarily through the discovery of grave goods. Thanks to the durability of the Roman road network and the reach of river routes, movement was comparatively easy throughout Europe and Asia. Conflicts, trade, diplomacy and marriages created diverse forms of contact and exchange in terms of culture, knowledge, ideas and religious practices. The Eastern Roman Empire held until 1453. Greco-Roman heritage survives, and continues to inspire both the East and the West today.
Languages: FR & NL
Golden disk fibula with garnet inlays, Marilles (Belgium), end of 6th-beginning of 7th century, Art & History Museum © KMKG-MRAH
Left: Britt Claes
Right: Alexandra Van Puyvelde
31/01/2020
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
(1/02 → 30/04/2020)
In this talk, Till-Holger Borchert will discuss the preparations and research underway for the exceptional exhibition Van Eyck. An Optical Revolution which will run from 1 February – 30 April 2020 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent. The masterpiece at the centre of the exhibition will without doubt be the Retable of the Mystic Lamb which has undergone extensive study and restoration since 2012. A member of the scientific committee of experts, he works with the curators of the exhibition as a content advisor. Since 2018 Brafa has supported CODART, the international network of museum curators specialising in Flemish and Dutch painting. Till-Holger Borchert has been a member of CODART since 2001, and on the administrative board of its supporting organisation, the Friends of the CODART Foundation, since 2016.
In partnership with CODART
Language: ENG
Jan and Hubert van Eyck, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, 1432, Exterior shutters, Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent © www.lukasweb.be - Art in Flanders vzw
Till-Holger Borchert © Sarah Bauwens, Musea Brugge
(1/02 → 30/04/2020)
In this talk, Till-Holger Borchert will discuss the preparations and research underway for the exceptional exhibition Van Eyck. An Optical Revolution which will run from 1 February – 30 April 2020 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent. The masterpiece at the centre of the exhibition will without doubt be the Retable of the Mystic Lamb which has undergone extensive study and restoration since 2012. A member of the scientific committee of experts, he works with the curators of the exhibition as a content advisor. Since 2018 Brafa has supported CODART, the international network of museum curators specialising in Flemish and Dutch painting. Till-Holger Borchert has been a member of CODART since 2001, and on the administrative board of its supporting organisation, the Friends of the CODART Foundation, since 2016.
In partnership with CODART
Language: ENG
Jan and Hubert van Eyck, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, 1432, Exterior shutters, Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent © www.lukasweb.be - Art in Flanders vzw
Till-Holger Borchert © Sarah Bauwens, Musea Brugge
01/02/2020
A brief history of frames and frame making over the centuries
By Guy Sainthill, restorer and gilder
Guy Sainthill has been reproducing, making and restoring frames in the Netherlands since 1990, advising and working hand in hand with major museums, art dealers and collectors. This talk highlights the very important but often overlooked world of the picture frame: looking at not only the various styles and periods but also some of the techniques and materials used by frame makers over the centuries, often with the input of some of the greatest artists and designers. We will take a closer look at a few of the prestigious and complex framing projects Guy Sainthill has been involved with over the years, illustrating how a frame can ‘make or break’ an artwork. Guy Sainthill will also explain his passion for seeking out and cataloguing paintings in their original frames and for collecting antique frames, for this is a vital part of his work, enabling him to give accurate and historically correct advice.
In partnership with Tableau Magazine
Language: ENG
Emile Bertrand, Doreur dans son atelier, 1891
Guy Sainthill ‘flipping the gold’
Guy Sainthill has been reproducing, making and restoring frames in the Netherlands since 1990, advising and working hand in hand with major museums, art dealers and collectors. This talk highlights the very important but often overlooked world of the picture frame: looking at not only the various styles and periods but also some of the techniques and materials used by frame makers over the centuries, often with the input of some of the greatest artists and designers. We will take a closer look at a few of the prestigious and complex framing projects Guy Sainthill has been involved with over the years, illustrating how a frame can ‘make or break’ an artwork. Guy Sainthill will also explain his passion for seeking out and cataloguing paintings in their original frames and for collecting antique frames, for this is a vital part of his work, enabling him to give accurate and historically correct advice.
In partnership with Tableau Magazine
Language: ENG
Emile Bertrand, Doreur dans son atelier, 1891
Guy Sainthill ‘flipping the gold’
02/02/2020
Is structuring a collection really necessary?
Panel discussion led by Eric Hemeleers, Managing Director at Eeckman Art & Insurance. With the participation of Marc Van Moerkerke (collector), Cédric Liénart de Jeude (collector), Olivier Marian (collector - Arteïa), Adriano Picinati (Consultant - Deloitte Luxembourg) and Marc Hemeleers (Insurance - Eeckman Art & Insurance)
A collection of artworks or valuable objects often begins as the fruit of a passion, which, as it grows, can lead the collector to gather a large number of pieces. Not all collectors are aware of the responsibility attached to their ownership of such pieces of cultural heritage, either concerning their preservation or in terms of their detention and transmission in a constantly changing legal context. These changes, which demand increasing transparency, can oblige the collector to structure the management of their collection to avoid problems that either they or their legatees will have to face later down the line.
In partnership with Eeckman Art & Insurance
Languages: FR & NL
Photo Porfirius Kunstkammer © Lawrence Schoonbroodt
Eric Hemeleers
A collection of artworks or valuable objects often begins as the fruit of a passion, which, as it grows, can lead the collector to gather a large number of pieces. Not all collectors are aware of the responsibility attached to their ownership of such pieces of cultural heritage, either concerning their preservation or in terms of their detention and transmission in a constantly changing legal context. These changes, which demand increasing transparency, can oblige the collector to structure the management of their collection to avoid problems that either they or their legatees will have to face later down the line.
In partnership with Eeckman Art & Insurance
Languages: FR & NL
Photo Porfirius Kunstkammer © Lawrence Schoonbroodt
Eric Hemeleers