The Best of Brussels with BRAFA’s Beatrix Bourdon
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Beatrix Bourdon, the managing director of the BRAFA Art Fair, is not native to Brussels, but she has adopted the city as her own, and her enthusiasm for its charms and for BRAFA is infectious.BRAFA, one of the world’s oldest art fairs and the one that arrivThe Best of Brussels with BRAFA’s Beatrix Bourdon
Beatrix Bourdon, the managing director of the BRAFA Art Fair, is not native to Brussels, but she has adopted the city as her own, and her enthusiasm for its charms and for BRAFA is infectious.BRAFA, one of the world’s oldest art fairs and the one that arrives first on the calendar each year, will bring together 133 galleries and art dealers from 16 countries for its 64th edition January 26-February 3. The fair hit a new record for attendance last year — more than 65,000 visitors — and continues to have the steady participation of an elite selection of Belgian and European galleries. BRAFA 2019’s guests of honor, Gilbert & George, bring a pleasing marriage of British eccentricity and Belgian Surrealism to this year’s event.In an interview with Blouin Culture + Travel, Bourdon spoke about Brussels’ vibrant cultural life, her favorite spots around town and why the best time to visit the European capital is January.Are you from Brussels originally?No, I’m not from Brussels but I’ve been living there since 2000. So it’s been 20 years and I was born on the Belgian coast. When I arrived in Brussels, I thought the city was very big, but in fact it’s a big village with lots of nice little neighborhoods.What keeps you living in Brussels?My friends and the culture. Everything is very easy to access too. There are concerts and beautiful temporary exhibitions. The city is very pleasant to live in, we are not in Paris, London or New York and it is a big village. But everyone goes through Brussels because it’s the European capital.What are you most excited about this edition of BRAFA?I hope collectors will find the fair very beautiful. I believe its quality has increased. It is an audience of connoisseurs who will recognize the level of the fair. We want it to remain friendly and enjoyable at the same time. This year, we have our guest of honor, Gilbert & George as well, and we have 100 years of the ROCAD (Royal Chamber of Art Dealers). We do a lot of events and we also work a lot on the city of Brussels. So I hope it will be recognized by the people who come to visit us. We also have new galleries, so I think the fair is very balanced. It remains very eclectic because we had opened a new category for Contemporary art five years ago. With the new galleries accepted, there are galleries of ancient art, archeology, until today. I think it’s very important for us to keep this eclecticism. And also there are no sections in the fair. It’s a fair where all the arts are mixed. For example, there will never be two old art stands next to each other. I think it’s nice for the visitor each time to discover a new stand, a new period, another era. It makes the visit a lot more interesting.What is your favorite time of the year to enjoy Brussels and why?During the fair! In January! We have a whole program off, we have a lot of partnerships with institutions and cultural foundations and private collectors open their gallery to the public. It’s really a good time. There is, for example, a preview of an opera on Sunday, “La Joconda.” Any time is good but especially now. In other capitals, there may be a little less to do at this time too.Any local activity that one must participate in to get the feel like a local?All the temporary exhibitions! Here, Ixelles is very handsome. There is also les Sablons, where you can find all the antiquarian. Around Georges Brugmann place, or Chatelain neighborhood, as well as Boniface.What would you do if you had a free morning or afternoon in the city?I would have a lunch in the morning or visit an exhibition. We have amazing museums and very awesome permanent collections. I would definitely go to see the high lights of the Cinquantenaire Park.Where in the city would you go to catch up on a book?There is the wonderful library — the Albertine, the Royal Library — and a very interesting and beautiful art bookshop, Filigrane. There are many places in Brussels to relax and read…What museums or galleries you would recommend that one must definitely visit in the city, even if short on time?Two galleries are amazing, and I love them: Desmet Gallery, specialized in Renaissance art in the neighborhood of the Sablons, and Jacques de la Beraudiere gallery, always very sharp, speciallized in the art of the 20th Century. As regards museums, I love the temporary exhibitions of BOZAR, and there is this new museum, the Africa Museum, which was closed for five years, and has just reopened in December. It is a real splendor! A must on the international level. It is also part of our past, Africa and the former colonies.Any walking trail you would recommend visitors to check out in the city and/or the surrounding areas?La Cambre Park, which is beautiful, Sonian Forest, or “Le Petit Sablons” right near the eponymous neighborhood. In Brussels, each neighborhood has its own park. It’s really nice and green!Where would you dash off to for a quick coffee and/or snack?The cafe La Fabrique en Ville, in the center of the town, in the Degmont park.Where would you recommend people stay when they visit?I would say the Amigo hotel and the Plaza hotel. They have a very professional service. These are five-star hotels but very family friendly, in sync with the image of Brussels. These are not impersonal hotels.Do you have a favorite Belgian artist, who you think more people should know about?I would say Fernand Khnopff, who lived in Brussels.In what ways has living in Brussels changed your ways of seeing — about art or anything else?Through the proximity to Europe, we have the opportunity to easily visit all the exhibitions. So we are very aware. All temporary exhibitions go through Brussels. In our museums there are real treasures and there is a lot of exchange abroad.Would you recommend a book about Brussels?There is a beautiful book that came out about ten 10 years ago, which includes all the outdoor sculptures in the parks that people do not see: “Bruxelles. 200 sculptures se racontent” (Brussels. 200 sculptures tell their stories).https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more