{"id":1606003,"date":"2025-12-15T12:42:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T17:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/observer.com\/?p=1606003"},"modified":"2025-12-15T17:18:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T22:18:53","slug":"art-fair-report-art-antwerp-belgium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/observer.com\/2025\/12\/art-fair-report-art-antwerp-belgium\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Fair Art Antwerp Leans Into the City’s Centuries-Old Collecting Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Galerie Lelong at Art Antwerp 2025. Hugard&Vanoverschelde<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Antwerp has been a hub for collectors for centuries\u2014research has shown that as early as the 1500s, 90 percent of homeowners in Antwerp owned at least one portrait or religious painting. Against this backdrop, Art Antwerp, while founded in 2021, has a deep legacy. The fifth edition, which took place from December 12 through 14 with a preview day on December 11, gathered 79 galleries from 11 countries via an invite-only model that didn\u2019t draw boundaries between emerging and established.<\/p>\n

Belgian galleries made up 42 percent of the exhibitor roster, with the Netherlands and France being the most represented countries thereafter at 25 percent and 16 percent, respectively. There were 20 new galleries in the mix, including Night Caf\u00e9 from the U.K., Alzueta Gallery from Spain and In Situ \u2013 fabienne leclerc from France. Of the about 270 artists featured in the fair, 16 percent were under 35.<\/p>\n

The fair embraced Antwerp\u2019s art scene, with 18 percent of participating galleries based in the city itself. Sofie Van de Velde participates in Art Brussels but, according to the gallery\u2019s artist liaison Theresia Wastiau, sees Art Antwerp as \u201cmore intimate, more spacious.\u201d Wastiau also lauded the \u201chometown advantage.\u201d Among the many compelling offerings at the booth were a coated glass, acrylic resin and aluminum piece by Filip Vervaet; Klaas Rommelaere\u2019s hand-embroidery on cotton; and an Ives Maes UV print on multiplex with oil paint, graphite and afrormosia wood that sold on the preview day.<\/p>\n

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