BRAFA ART Talks
Join us for captivating talks and films screenings!
BRAFA is much more than an art fair: it offers a unique platform where a diversity of perspectives, ideas and voices come together. Its cultural programme is developed in partnership with cultural and academic institutions, organisations and art market professionals. All share their expertise and experience to enrich your knowledge of art and provide a deeper understanding of the current challenges facing the cultural sector.
DAILY FAIR PROGRAMME starting from Saturday 23 January
At the King Baudouin Foundation stand n° 161
12 pm – Film screenings by KBF (King Baudouin Foundation)
In collaboration with CINEMATEK.
A selection of historic films restored with the support of the Myriam Garfunkel Fund.
2 pm - KBF Art Talks
A series of talks by specialists devoted to works of art from the King Baudouin Foundation’s collection, presented by experts and art historians.
4 pm - BRAFA Art Talks
Leading figures from the art world, including curators, museum professionals and art market experts, will share their insights and expertise across a range of fascinating topics.
At the Ixelles Museum stand n° 137
5 pm – Focus talks by Ixelles Museum
A series of 20-minute talks by specialists devoted to masterpieces from the collection of the Ixelles Museum.
Download the full programme
23/01/2027
Museums and Objects: ethical ownership, provenance research, institutional partnerships
Sara Menato, Coordinator of the Interpretation, Accessibility and Sharing Department, Museo Egizio
Federico Zaina, Head of Research and Curatorship Department, Museo Egizio
The presentation considers the Museo Egizio’s museum policy in managing a collection of universal value. Provenance research and the complexity inherent in constituting the collections become part of a broader reflection on the role of the contemporary museum, its responsibilities towards society, and the need to engage with legislative, institutional and governance issues, while acknowledging the diasporic nature of the collection. Within this framework, the presentation also addresses questions of ownership and belonging in relation to the collection, as well as the responsibility towards a heritage that comes from elsewhere, questioning the categories through which museums have historically constructed their narratives and claims to legitimacy. Decolonising our gaze means recognising the complexity of the histories that accompany objects and rethinking the ways in which they are curated, studied and made accessible to the public.
24/01/2027
Mig Quinet: The Power of Colour
Laura Neve, Mig Quinet Foundation & Eve Delplanque, Museum of Fine Arts Charleroi
Language > French
24/01/2027
Beyond the Gendered Genius: A Rediscovery of Jan and Catharina van Hemessen
Dr Maarten Bassens, Chief Curator, Museum Snijders&Rockoxhuis, Antwerp
Language > English
Jan van Hemessen, Portret van een meisje, ‘de goudweegster’, ca. 1528-29, Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museum zu Berlin © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie / Christoph Schmidt
26/01/2027
Art4Alzheimer: When Art Awakens Memory, Movement and Connection
Renato Walkowiak, Founder of Move4Alzheimer and initiator of Art4Alzheimer
Expert in non-pharmacological interventions and support for people living with Alzheimer’s disease
Language > French
26/01/2027
The Line of Genius: Discovering a Drawing by Rubens
An van Camp, Rubenshuis
Language > Dutch
Peter Paul Rubens, Three Men in Classical Attire (recto) © Rubenshuis
27/01/2027
Everyday Beauty: Furniture at Hannon House
Grégory Van Aelbrouck, Maison Hannon
Language > French
Furniture is more than decoration: it reflects ideas, craftsmanship and ways of living. Drawing on examples from the Hannon House, this talk explores how furniture helped shape Art Nouveau interiors and how it contributes today to the preservation of a unique cultural heritage. A captivating story of design, innovation and everyday beauty.
© Emulation, 1905, Archives Maison Hannon
27/01/2027
Preserving art, funding research: the essential role of philanthropy
Kim Oosterlinck, General Director of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (Brussels)
Language > French
28/01/2027
Henri Evenepoel, page by page
Davy Depelchin & Sarah Van Ooteghem, Royal Museums for Fine Arts of Belgium
Language > Dutch
Nearly one thousand drawings and documents preserved in nineteen albums provide an exceptional insight into Henri Evenepoel's artistic evolution. This intact archive reveals how ideas moved from first sketch to finished work, offering a unique perspective on one of Belgium's leading modern artists. A rare journey through the making of an oeuvre.
© Philippe De Putter
28/01/2027
Listening first: What do Museums need from Philanthropy today?
Géraldine David, General Director of the Art & History Museum (Brussels); Dr. Stefaan Huygebaert, Curator at Mu.ZEE - Permekemuseum - Peire Museum. Moderator: Mélanie Coisne, Head of Heritage & Culture, King Baudouin Foundation
Language > English
29/01/2027
Hidden treasures - The value of Public Art in storage
Nancy von Breska, PhD, Lapislazul; Laura D’hoore, PhD researcher at the University of Antwerp; Marieke De Baerdemaeker, Head Curator at Brussels City Museum; Eric Hemeleers, Chairman of the Eeckman I PatrimOne Group in Belgium. Moderator: Anne-Sophie V. Radermecker, Associate Professor in Cultural Management (Université libre de Bruxelles)
Language > English
Belgium’s public collections are highly decentralised, with no single official total of artworks held in storage. As in the global museum sector, an estimated 80–90% of collections may remain in storage. Yet storage conditions and incomplete documentation - such as photographs, measurements, provenance and condition reports - can affect an artwork’s value and future safekeeping. While some institutions have adequate inventories and storage, others lack the resources to properly assess their collections. In times of shrinking public funding, how can these “hidden treasures” be re-evaluated, valorised and made accessible to the public?
29/01/2027
Rediscovering Antoine Mortier
Camille Brasseur, Paul Delvaux Foundation and Antoine Mortier Fund
Language > French
Antoine Mortier developed a powerful visual language that placed him among the leading figures of post-war abstraction. Through selected works and recent research, this talk explores the intensity, scale and emotional force that characterise his oeuvre. Marking the 10th anniversary of the Antoine Mortier Fund hosted by the King Baudouin Foundation and the launch of the online catalogue raisonné, it offers an opportunity to rediscover one of Belgium’s major abstract artists.
30/01/2027
Rik Wouters, from vision to form