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Heirman, Frank. “Derde kunstbeurs Art Antwerp oogt jonger en internationaler, maar niet te wild.” GVA.be/Gazet van Antwerpen, 15 December 2023, https://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20231214_96951973. Accessed 15 December 2023.
English (EN):
"Third art fair Art Antwerp looks younger and more international, but not too wild"
Antwerp - Art Antwerp seems to have found its place on the art fair calendar. The third edition, which runs until Sunday, December 17 in Antwerp Expo, is more international, attracts younger galleries but does not go too wild. There is a lot of figurative painting to view and buy.
Frank Heirman
Friday, December 15, 2023 at 4:03 PM
While the date just before the Christmas holidays was an emergency solution in the corona crisis three years ago, it appears to have become an asset in the third edition. “Art Antwerp should not become a mega fair,” says director Nele Verhaeren. “It mainly wants to be a boutique fair with a friendly atmosphere where it is pleasant to be. Viewing art is part of the lifestyle of the current generation. The enthusiasm of the art galleries, artists, visitors and certainly the city of Antwerp provides an extra boost.”
Art Antwerp 2023 invited 72 galleries from 12 different countries. With fifteen galleries from Antwerp, it is also a promotional campaign for the vibrant art scene of the Scheldt city. It is striking that mainly relatively young galleries participate. For example, the Antwerp showpieces Tim Van Laere Gallery and Axel Vervoordt are missing. Zeno Present are Newchild Gallery, De Boer and Gnyp, who recently settled in Antwerp.
Robert Monchen is at the fair for the first time with his Pizza Gallery. — © FH
A fresh newcomer is also Pizza Gallery from Borgerhout. Robert Monchen opened a take-out pizza shop three years ago that was only open during the summer months. In the winter season it turned into a pilot gallery for young artists. Last summer, Monchen decided not to bake pizzas anymore but to continue as a gallery.
Not pompous
“I want to build something with my artists and give them the opportunity to create exhibitions that are memorable for their careers. This fair is also a platform that I can offer them. It shouldn't be too serious and too pompous," says the young gallery owner, who offers an overview of the artists he has already worked with and with whom he wants to work: Louise Delanghe, Rufus Michielsen, Viktoria Palacios, Meriton Maloku and Bert Huyghe. Smaller paintings of theirs cost between 1,000 and 2,000 euros.
With those prices, Pizza Gallery is at the bottom of the price range at Art Antwerp. Anyone who searches will still find work on paper in that price category, such as the word drawings from the Point Blank Press series by Peter Morrens offered by Kristof De Clercq Gallery, or design drawings for the well-known fat canvases by Sergio De Beukeaer at Plus-One Gallery. Anyone who wants a real colorful fat canvas from De Beukelaer should expect to pay at least 6,800 euros, if they are not sold out yet.
Fred & Ferry Gallery has a beautiful solo show with fairytale textile works (!&@#! euros) and ceramics (!&@#! euros) by the Antwerp-American Tramaine de Senna. This price category also includes the conceptual word paintings/portraits by the well-known graphic artist Randoald Sabbe, which Lukasz Majevski Gallery shows.
Antwerp's Fred & Ferry Gallery created a solo show with ceramics and textile works by Tramaine de Senna.
For artists with a solid international reputation, prices quickly exceed 20,000 euros. The paintings of Koen Van den Broek are defended by two foreign galleries. Philipp von Rosen from Cologne shows older landscapes, while Ron Mandos from Amsterdam premieres recent works with road paint and asphalt.
Historical
Most galleries mainly present younger artists with predominantly figurative painting, which has been making waves on the art market in recent years. Only a limited number of galleries show historical work by, for example, Pierre Alechinsky or Marcel Broodthaers. An exception is Maurice Verbaet, who only offers Antwerp classics at his stand, such as masterpieces by Vic Gentils, René Guiette, Paul Van Hoeydonck, Guy Vandenbranden and Fred Bervoets, art that has proven its value for half a century and will only increase with time. got better.
Art Antwerp runs until December 17, each time from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
All information on art-antwerp.com.