Brussels, 13 June 2014,
As a result of a deep-rooted colonial past, Brussels retains strong links with the Congo — a hive of activity for African art. Brussels is now globally regarded as a stronghold for the trade in Tribal Art; to demonstrate its appreciation for the genre, the city plays host to a trio of fairs each year, drawing an international audience of collectors and admirers alike. This year’s event — the second to offer all three fairs —, took place from 4-8 June.
Now in its 24th year, BRUNEAF (Brussels Non European Art Fair) – art from Africa, Oceania and Indonesia —, shares the event with BAAF (Brussels Ancient Art Fair) — presenting Antique, Egyptian, Near-Orient and European art —, now in its 12th edition. The latest addition to the event comes in the form of AAB (Asian Art in Brussels) — presenting a variety of Asian art from China, Japan, India, the Himalayas, South Asia and South East Asia —, now in its second year.
The fairs’ three presidents, Didier Claes, Jacques Billen and Carlo Cristi, respectively, have placed particular significance on the need for stricter control regarding the provenance and authenticity of works on show. This year’s fairs were evidence of this, with the implementation of new regulations, including an “acceptance committee”, comprising a team of international experts. All objects were examined 48 hours prior to the fair’s opening, as well as being registered on the Art Loss Register. This goal was significantly aided by the synergy of the three events, alongside help from numerous patrons and newly-developed partnerships with associated museums.
This year, in collaboration with BRUNEAF, the Ancienne Nonciature, situated at the heart of the Sablon district, presented the exhibition “Masterpieces”, to continue until 15 June. It displays masterpieces from Papua New Guinea, moved for the first time from their customary home at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Terveren, Belgium.
Visitors to the event were invited to walk around the Sablon district to discover the artefacts presented by 90 dealers, who had significantly invested in the district’s businesses. Unfortunately, the G7 summit — which took place in parallel with the fairs — and inclement weather conditions made for a slight fall in visitor numbers.
Despite this decrease, the organisers were keen to highlight a strong turnout from European, American and Chinese collectors. By way of sales, the event witnessed a recurrence of a trend currently represented across the board on the art market, whereby the most important pieces found a buyer with relative ease — leaving a more subdued mid-range market.
Noteworthy sales included the highlight from the Joaquin Pecci exhibition, a Ubangi statue (the Congo), as well as the sale of a Pende mask (DRC) and a Kongo cross, sold to the same collector by Didier Claes. For his part, dealer Alain Naoum sold a Lwalwa mask (RDC) for €40,000.
AAB’s programme of talks and conferences was equally a great success. The final talk, by Amina Okada from the Musée Guimet, was particularly praised.
Year after year, the fairs’ organisers take a gamble: uniting three fairs, targeting a high-calibre international audience and presenting Primitive art is a risky business. Despite this, the event was, and continues to be, a definitive success. The next edition is already scheduled for next year, inviting admirers, collectors and dealers of Primitive art to Brussels from 3-15 June 2015. Yet to be announced, the programme should begin to take shape over the course of this year.