Fair Antiques and Fine Arts in Brussels

[Marina56]

Brussels Fair Antiques and Fine Arts (BRAFA) among the three largest antique fairs in Europe. It is as old as the Paris Biennale des Antiquaires. And presents almost the same stringent requirements for the authenticity of items, as Maastricht TEFAF. Although still far short of bombast, and the first museum-quality and high cost of the second, is nevertheless an important event in the calendar collector.

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One feature of the fair - the continued number of participants. Their 130 - half Belgian, half foreign, and the exhibition space is divided equally among all. Last time, fair is held in the Exhibition Center Tour & Taxis, who was named in honor of the Italian princes - the founders of the European postal service whose names are in Belgium, were transformed into Von Thurn und Taxis; its area of 12 thousand square meters. m. antique shops in the complex will be located along the three "lanes" - so that each participant was given equal attention to the public. The fair covers all historical periods - from antiquity and pre-Columbian America to modern art. Interestingly, the organizers are baked and the fact that all types and ages of art were presented in more or less equal proportions. "We are trying not to overload certain sectors, in particular the section of paintings of the XIX century, and to develop others - archeology, modern art," - said President Fairs Grete Zeberh. Sisyphean labor, but the organizers know better.

This year BRAFA participates Russia gallery - Ravenscourt Galleries. The gallery deals with Russian and French art of the twentieth century, regularly holds exhibitions in Moscow and managed last year to take part in Shanghai Shanghai Fine Jewellery and Art Fair, remaining, so our only gallery of old (not modern) art, participating in overseas trade fairs.

The booth will Ravenscourt Galleries exhibits works by Mikhail Larionov, Natalia Goncharova, Alexandra Exter, along with pictures of Fauvism and modernists Maurice Vlaminck, Albert Marquet, Bernard Buffet.

The theme is more or less internationalist modernism developing many Parisian galleries, participating in the fair. At the stand of Galerie Beres could see bright avant-garde painting of Alexandra Exter's "Composition: city" 1916-1917 period and the dark "brown song" Pierre Soulage 1919. Campo & Campo Antwerp shows Cubist painting "Lake Como" Ossip Zadkine.

Paris gallery pleasure flaunt the Impressionists and their predecessors. Tiny Type Mount Testaccio "Camille Corot neighbors at Galerie Eric Coatalem with erotic drawing" Two friends "by Gustav Klimt and still life of XVII century. In this manner - mixing not-so-distant time, but separated by a huge gap in terms of periods of art history - is now underway, many galleries. While there are those who focus on his subject. How, for example, some Parisian antique dealers of Hungarian origin, which exhibit extremely Parisian artists - also of Hungarian origin.

Galerie Cybele deals only with the art of ancient Egypt and the antiquity. Gallery will bring to the fair a bronze sculpture of an ibis and germanium with a marble head of Hermes. Swiss Phoenix Ancient Art, one of the most respected galleries of the world, selling antiques, shows the alabaster head of a child, like a little angel (I century BC. E.), And the stern of an ancient Greek bronze helmet (V century BC. E.).

At the fair, two dozen galleries, the arts of China and Japan varying degrees of antiquity, two respected second-hand bookshop. BRAFA invites and galleries involved in jewelry art. But this picture shows almost exclusively antique jewelry (unlike, for example, TEFAF, Biennale des Antiquaires or Fine Arts in Moscow Manege involving modern jewelry brand with new developments).

Alexandra Exter. "Composition: city", 1916-1917 years. Galerie Beres

[Meister]

Exter and no one is beyond doubt?

[Евгений]

Meister, Exter no one is beyond doubt?
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Galerie Beres site, http://www.galerieberes.com/spip.php...id_article=573 you can ask a question ...

[Meister]

Сообщение от Eugene

Galerie Beres site, http://www.galerieberes.com/spip.php...id_article=573you can ask a question ...

like "sorry, but you seem confident that sell?"

[Евгений]

Сообщение от Meister

like "sorry, but you seem confident that sell?"

There is a variant: guess the tea leaves ..

[Жар-птица]

I would like to hear an independent opinion on the Moscow exhibition Ravenscourt Galleries (participating in Brussels) and its owner.

[Тютчев]

Results BRAFA 2010

Julia Vinogradova · 01/02/2010

One of the oldest fairs in Europe (since 1955-first), BRAFA primarily focused exclusively on the domestic, the Belgian market and was known under the French name of the Foire de antiquaires de Belgique. However, a few years ago she changed her strategy in the direction of international development and has moved from the prestigious, but small in area, Palais des Beaux-Arts building in a former bonded warehouse Tour & Taxis area about 12 thousand square meters. m, and a year ago changed the name.

This year's fair was attended by some 120 galleries, half of which - Belgian. Second-largest - French dealers. Also present were four German galleries, the same number of Spanish and one each from Canada, USA, Portugal and Hungary. Russia on BRAFA was represented by a single party - Ravenscourt Galleries (has branches in Moscow and London). This is one of the few Russian galleries, which is very active exhibition activities abroad - she has already participated in BRAFA 2009 and was exhibited at the Shanghai Fine Arts Fair at Olympia in London.

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During 13 days of BRAFA (from 19 to 31 January) it was visited by 35 thousand people, and at a private screening in the very first night was about a thousand visitors. Despite Napoleon's ambitions of organizers (in the future to compete TEFAF in Maastricht), while the Brussels fair differs not too expensive, more interior design things and more business-like atmosphere. But by the end of fairs around many works have appeared red dots, meaning that these works are reserved, and some stands of even partial change of the display. On the value of works sold by antique dealers do not like to talk, found out only a few figures.

Galleries, engaged in the sale of paintings by old masters, as well as furniture and decorative art from the Middle Ages until the XIX century, this year was noticeably less. Nevertheless, the participants were the largest in this area Brussels gallery De Jonckheere, well known in Moscow (repeatedly took part in the Moscow Fine Art Fair in the Manege) and Paris-Florence de Voldère. Last sold in 1510 BRAFA triptych depicting the Virgin Mary, who was in a private collection in the territory of East Germany, was confiscated by the Soviet authorities and temporarily placed in the Museum of Leipzig. In 1995, the triptych returned to former owners, who now put it up for sale in Florence de Voldère (cost of work not disclosed). Participated in the fair, another famous gallery specializing in old masters and medieval arts and crafts - London Joanna Booth. On its stand were sold to the XVII century tapestry manufactory "Aubusson" for € 13,5 thousand and Alsatian wooden sculpture of the Virgin of € 17 thousand

However, this year's BRAFA is dominated art of XX century, which, despite the crises and recessions, always in demand. Even during the gala dinner, the Parisian gallery Le Minotaure sold several works by the artist of Hungarian origin Fields Kallosa (€ 10-20 thousand), as well as several works of Ivan Puni from the famous series "Harlequins". Major Antwerp gallery Ronny Van de Velde is the first night, managed to sell for € 750 thousand work of James Ensor "The Seven Deadly Sins", the object of Marcel Duchamp «Boîte-en-valise» (€ 150 thousand) and a series of photographs "Mask" by Paul McCarthy (€ 70 thousand). According to the owner of the gallery, the fair was held for him very well: Belgian, French and German collectors purchased at the booth picture of Matisse, Miro, Rene Magritte and the Belgian Symbolist Fernand Knopf. Satisfied with the results and gallery Ludorff from Düsseldorf: its stand buyers have reserved two works by Max Ernst and the two abstractions of Serge Polyakov, as well as a portrait of Emil Nolde (€ 680 thousand). Cloth Pierre Soulage for € 1,2 млн was also booked at the stand of the Paris gallery Pascal Lansberg.

An unusual artifact - painted by James Ensor medical gown - was sold in the first evening on the bench Galleries t'Kint de Roodenbeke. This gown belonged to one of Brussels pharmacists. Once Ensor, someone visiting a friend of artists, suddenly wanted to pick up the brush. A new canvas was found, and gown had to ask in a neighboring pharmacy. As a thank Ensor covered his multi-colored ornaments and signed. Price wonders were not disclosed. "He bought a very well-known Belgian collector - said the gallery owner, Harold de Roodenbek - he does not like to flaunt their purchases.

http://www.brafa.be/DesktopDefault.a...19&tabindex=18

[Тютчев]

Several items were sold and the stand Ravenscourt Galleries, which presented at the fair by French artists of the first half of XX century - Maurice Vlaminck, Andre Derain, André Lot, as well as the Russian artists Alexandre Benois, Boris Anisfeld, Leopold Survage and Wassily Kandinsky (with the early work of 1904 years). Gallery received offers to purchase works Andre Lansky and Raoul Dufy, also was booked fabric Andre Bazilera and several small works by contemporary Russian artists.

In addition to painting at the fair quite successfully sold and so-called tribal art - African, Indonesian art and artifacts of pre-Columbian America. In Belgium, as in the former colonial country (she is today Congo), this sect is very popular collectibles. For example, the gallery Jacques Germain of Montreal has sold an anonymous Belgian collector wooden sculpture of the African people obamba (€ 100 thousand) and the female figure from Nigeria (€ 20 thousand). Brussels gallery Serge Schoffel also sold several African figurines and costs € 10-20 thousand and a large Indonesian sculpture for € 25 thousand

At the fair was presented and pure Belgian art product - comics. For example, 9th art gallery has sold some original sheet Erzhe price from € 15 to 45 thousand, and the drawing of another Belgian artist, Andre Frankina for € 350 thousand unnamed buyer at the stand of the gallery reserved Petits Papiers Erzhe original cover for the book "Cigars Pharaoh "- gallery originally estimated it to be € 3 million, but in the process of negotiating the price was reduced to € 2 million

 Despite the sale, antique dealers noted that compared with last year, buyers have become more cautious in their choice, they need more time for reflection. "This is actually a fairly common situation where a large number of transactions committed after the fair, - commented co-owner of Ravenscourt Galleries Elizabeth Meshkvicheva. - Customers call us later, to think and make a final decision. I'm sure it will be so at this time. " In addition, many gallery owners note that the fair lasted too long: it could easily be limited to the first five days. It was at this time, according to observations dealers, for almost all transactions.

Already in the last days of BRAFA happened and unpleasant event - several things were stolen. In this regard, markedly increased control over visitors and their personal search. About what exactly was lost in a gallery, and for what amount, security guard prefers not to spread and refrained from comment.

http://www.brafa.be/DesktopDefault.a...19&tabindex=18

[Тютчев]

BRAFA. More pictures from the fair:

[Евгений]

Tjutchev, Thank you very much, interesting and useful information ...