Photo © Olivier Pirard
From 24 to 31 January 2027, BRAFA Art Fair will bring together 150 galleries from 18 countries at Brussels Expo, in an edition marked by the arrival of new international players and by the presence of the Musée d’Ixelles as guest of honour.
Several months before opening, the 72nd edition of BRAFA is already fully booked. 150 exhibitors, 18 nationalities, 27 disciplines: the numbers alone reflect the place the Brussels fair now holds in the international art market calendar. But it is above all the composition of that roster that stands out. According to Klaas Muller, president of BRAFA, the 2027 edition will be distinguished less by the scale of its scenography than by the quality of its newcomers, with several leading galleries on the international scene exhibiting for the first time and, in the process, strengthening the presence of ethnic art, Old Masters, and design.
London will be represented by Waddington Custot, a benchmark for Nabis masters and photorealism, while Brussels welcomes Stems Gallery and its focus on the emerging American scene. Asian art is gaining ground with two Paris-based addresses centred on Japan: Galerie Tiago and its cabinet of curiosities, and Guillaume Castellano with his selection of objects chosen for their aesthetic value. As for Old Masters, three new galleries are joining: W. Apolloni – Laocoon from Rome and London, the Dutch Argento Gallery specialising in 17th-century Dutch portraiture, and Turin-based Caretto & Occhinegro, an expert in Flemish and German painting. More unexpectedly, BRAFA is opening its doors to vintage watchmaking for the first time, with the arrival of the Milanese house Bernardini Milano.
This diversification does not come at the expense of loyalty: the vast majority of 2026 exhibitors are renewing their commitment, and several prominent names are returning, from Stoppenbach & Delestre to Geneva’s Opera Gallery, via LUDORFF and its expertise in German Expressionism. Year after year, that continuity further cements the fair’s position among the major broad-based events in the European market.
However, the standout feature of this edition lies elsewhere. For the first time in its history, BRAFA is welcoming a Belgian museum as guest of honour: the Musée d’Ixelles, which will celebrate its reopening in March 2027 after ten years of renovation work. Home to nearly 15,000 works devoted to Belgian art from the 19th century to the present day, the institution will present a selection drawn from its collections, ranging from Gust De Smet to James Ensor, as well as Toulouse-Lautrec and Alfred Stevens. “Reopening means reconnecting,” sums up director-curator Claire Leblanc, who sees the reopening as an opportunity to bring heritage and living creation into dialogue. Klaas Muller, for his part, points to a conviction shared by the two institutions: it is in encounter and dialogue that art finds its full force.
Beyond the stands, BRAFA continues to expand its experiential offering. Talks and meetings will punctuate the week, between the KBF Art Talks led by the King Baudouin Foundation and the BRAFA Art Talks, not to mention the flash presentations organised by the Musée d’Ixelles around its own stand. Hall 8, dedicated to gastronomy and launched successfully last year, will once again host its addresses, from Giovanni Bruno’s Italian cuisine to the Oyster Bar. Enough to confirm, if confirmation were needed, that at BRAFA, the visit is never limited to contemplating the works alone.
The event runs from 24 to 31 January 2027, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Brussels Expo — with a late-night opening on Thursday 28 January until 10 p.m.
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