05 september 2022, Manuela Klerkx
Brussels Gallery Weekend celebrates its 15th anniversary
From 8 to 11 September, Brussels Gallery Weekend will be held for the 15th time in a row – with no fewer than 47 (!) Brussels galleries opening their doors to the public. Thanks to Brussels’ location in the heart of Europe and its vibrant art scene, the city has enjoyed a top position in the world of contemporary art for many years. In addition to such renowned local galleries as Xavier Hufkens, rodolphe janssen and Meert-Rihoux, a large number of international galleries, including Almine Rech, Nathalie Obadia and Templon, also positively contribute to the cultural and international image of the city.
This anniversary edition will be celebrated with the opening of 'Sculpture Factory', an exhibition of monumental sculptures and installations in the former prestigious printing house of the National Bank. In addition, a new edition of the 'Generation Brussels' exhibition is taking place, an initiative aimed at supporting Brussels artists who are not yet represented by a gallery. As part of the 'Off Program', Brussels Gallery Weekend is spotlighting a number of inspiring non-profit spaces, art institutes and artist-run non-profit venues. Not to mention the numerous exhibitions, performances, installations, talks and other side activities. Be sure to finish your day at one of the many fantastic restaurants that call Brussels home (don’t forget to make a reservation).
Cornelia Baltes, Nom, 2022, rodolphe janssen
rodolphe janssen opens the new season with two solo exhibitions. ‘Waggle Dance’, Cornelia Baltes’ first solo presentation at the gallery, sees the space teeming with life, activating the gallery with large vividly pigmented paintings built from sprayed gradients, bold gestures and fine brushwork set within a space-wide wall painting. The paintings are developed from brush-sketches that are themselves painted from the memory of observational sketching in botanical gardens. Typically accessible and generous, the exhibition is an invitation to see differently, taking quotidian subject matter and offering a strange sidelong glance.
Louisa Gagliardi, Boiling Point, 2022, rodolphe janssen
The third solo exhibition by Swiss artist Louisa Gagliardi (1989) whose works float between rendering and painting, copy and original also opens at rodolphe janssen. In ‘Around the Clock’, the artist transports us to a world seemingly ambivalent of our presence. As viewers, we are caught between the thresholds of seeing and being seen, unclear whether we are invited to this act of total recall. Yet as viewers, our voyeurism is implicated through the triangulation of the gaze – onto subjects, towards each other and finally onto ourselves – as the artist employs us as equal actors into her foreboding tableaus.
Lize Maekelberg, Zes keer stuiteren, 2021, Schönfeld Gallery
“Being creative is not so much the desire to create something as the listening to that which wants to be done: the material dictates”, stated Anni Albers, one of the pioneers of textile art. At the invitation of Schönfeld Gallery, Marie Mees is curating an exhibition on textiles, threads and fibres with a focus on interdisciplinary action. A textile designer herself, Mees cherishes craftsmanship and attention to detail. Her own style is radical: timeless and sustainable, minimalistic and aesthetic. The selected artists – Leyla Aydoslu, Veerle Beckers, Dirk Breackman, Helena Cnockaert, Willem Cole, Honoré d'O, Celine Lambrechts, Lize Maekelberg, Camille Paroissien, Basile Rabaey, Thomas Renwart, Charlotte Stuby and Jana Visser – all show the richness of the material and joy of creation in their own unique way.
Participating galleries include: Almine Rech, Archiraar Gallery, Ballon Rouge, Clearing, Damien & The Love Guru, Dauwens & Beernaert Gallery, Galerie Dys, Dépendance, Galerie Felix Frachon, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, La Patinoire Royale | Galerie Valérie Bach, Mendes Wood DM, Mulier Mulier, rodolphe janssen, Sorry We’re Closed, Schönfeld Gallery, Waldburger Wouters, Templon, Xavier Hufkens
TIP: Free guided tour on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September from 3 pm to 4.30 pm. More info & registration via: [email protected]
