Galerie Lelong at Art Antwerp 2025. Hugard&Vanoverschelde

Antwerp has been a hub for collectors for centuries—research 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’t draw boundaries between emerging and established.

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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 Café from the U.K., Alzueta Gallery from Spain and In Situ – fabienne leclerc from France. Of the about 270 artists featured in the fair, 16 percent were under 35.

The fair embraced Antwerp’s 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’s artist liaison Theresia Wastiau, sees Art Antwerp as “more intimate, more spacious.” Wastiau also lauded the “hometown advantage.” Among the many compelling offerings at the booth were a coated glass, acrylic resin and aluminum piece by Filip Vervaet; Klaas Rommelaere’s 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.

Koen Leemans, director at Antwerp-based Keteleer, also spoke of the fair’s local appeal and the strong interest in young and........

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