Nearly 1,000 artists represented at the new edition of Art Brussels Kirsi Mikkola - GLO - 2022 From April 29 to May 1, 2022, the 38th edition of Art Brussels presents 159 galleries from 26 different countries, collectively exhibiting works by nearly 1,000 artists. Source: Art Brussels · Image: Kirsi Mikkola: "GLO", 2022. Courtesy: The artist and Galerie Nagel Draxler Berlin/Cologne/Munich. Photo: Simon Vogel Art Brussels, one of Europe's leading contemporary art fairs, presents its 38th edition with an exhibition program divided into five sections: PRIME, featuring established artists; DISCOVERY, dedicated to emerging artists; REDISCOVERY, showcasing the work of artists whose recognition is long overdue; INVITED, a section featuring emerging galleries that are transcending the typical gallery format; and SOLO, featuring solo artist presentations. In addition to these five main sections, "many of the galleries and artists participating in this year’s edition of Art Brussels reflect a preoccupation with similar themes, ideas and concepts," according to the fair's organizers, who point out that "one of the key themes that emerges across the artists on show is gender, identity and the body, particularly in relation to mortality and the erotic. Examples include: Kiki Smith at Lelong & Co (Paris, New York), known for her figural representations of mortality, abjection and sexuality; Carmen Calvo at Luis Adelantado (Valencia) in whose work feminist themes play a prominent role; and Mark Manders at Zeno X (Antwerp) whose art reveals a fascination with the head, which is depicted as detached from the body and juxtaposed with different elements." Another of these themes, also addressed in several art fairs organized this year, is climate and environment. Among the artists studying this issue, the fair's organizers point to "Ronan McCrea at Green on Red (Dublin) presents, whose work centres on the controversial Dublin Waste-to-Energy facility; Chris Soal at WHATIFTHEWORLD (Cape Town), who uses unconventional found objects to question the impact on urban living; and Peter Buggenhout at Axel Vervoordt (Antwerp, Hong Kong) and Laurent Godin (Paris) whose unpolished sculptures are created from industrial waste, horsehair, entrails and house dust." The third of these recurring themes is dedicated to the Internet and technology, specifically "works that talk about the impact of digital imagery on art and culture, the concept of ‘information overload’, and the speed of consumer technology around the world." The fair's organizers point out that several galleries that are part of Art Brussels have collaborated with artists creating NFT works, "including ADN Galeria (Barcelona) with Avelino Salo; Erika Deák (Budapest) with Attila Szucs; DMW Gallery (Antwerp) with Marius Ritiu; Sanatorium (Istanbul) with Sergen Şehitoğlu; Sapar (New York) with Alejandro Magallanes; and Super Dakota (Brussels) with Chris Dorland."

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