A Smaller Art Brussels Represents a Shift in the Fair Ecosystem Toward a ‘Quality-First’ Approach
At a press conference for the 42nd edition of Art Brussels (April 23–26), fair director Nele Verhaeren said the event is smaller this year, with 138 participating galleries—26 fewer than last year, a 15% reduction. Organizers framed the downsizing as a “quality-first” shift toward a more focused visitor experience, with all booths now fitting into one hall of the Brussels Expo instead of 1.5 halls. Verhaeren cited mounting operational costs and ongoing geopolitical and economic tensions as factors making galleries more selective about which fairs to attend. The article situates the change within a broader market slowdown, noting the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026 reported a 2% increase in gallery sales in 2025 even as contemporary art cooled, and includes comments from Brussels dealer Xavier Hufkens, who founded his gallery in 1987 and has expanded locally to three city locations rather than opening international outposts.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Quality-First Fairs and Medieval Scandal Mashups