Art fair: Art Brussels 2026: 24 – 26 April 2026

Art Brussels 2026

24 – 26 April 2026
Booth 5B-15, Brussels Expo

Gallery Sofie Van de Velde is pleased to participate in Art Brussels 2026 with a presentation bringing together a selection of contemporary artists whose practices engage with and expand the languages of painting, installation, and image-making.

The booth features works by Gommaar Gilliams, Pieter Jennes, Natasja Mabesoone, Shirley Villavicencio Pizango, Klaas Rommelaere, Mattias De Leeuw, Willy De Sauter, Filip Vervaet, and Marina Yee, complemented by a focused presentation of Pop Art.

Natasja Mabesoone – Entrance Project

In parallel with the booth presentation, Natasja Mabesoone has been invited to develop a large-scale, site-specific installation at the entrance of the fair.

In Cher mouths Mary, Mary mouths Cher (2026), Mabesoone transforms the architecture of the fair into an immersive visual environment. Drawing on feminist art history, mythology, and pop culture, the work incorporates references such as Mary Cassatt and the character Cher Horowitz from Clueless (1995).

Rather than being superimposed onto the space, the installation absorbs and reconfigures it entirely: ticketing areas, information desks, and circulation zones become part of a layered mise-en-scène of mirrored images and shifting meanings. The work foregrounds themes of spectatorship, performance, and the dynamics of looking and being looked at.

Ritsart Gobyn – Solo Booth

Ritsart Gobyn presents a solo project that merges painting and scenography. Working with the tradition of trompe-l’oeil, he constructs the booth as a theatrical setting in which the exhibition itself becomes a staged moment.

The paintings function as actors within this environment, while visitors become unwitting participants in the scene. Through this approach, Gobyn challenges perception and explores the boundaries between illusion and reality.

Mattias De Leeuw – Le Salon by Natan

New work by Mattias De Leeuw will also be presented at Natan (Le Salon) during the fair.

For this project, De Leeuw worked for one month in the atelier of the Belgian fashion house, observing and documenting its daily rhythms. His paintings emerge from these experiences, focusing on the people, processes, and quiet moments that define the space.

Using a fluid technique that moves between painting and drawing—marked by diluted paint, vivid colour, and direct gestures—De Leeuw creates works that evoke atmosphere rather than depict fixed scenes. The resulting images translate the atelier into a world of rhythm, colour, and intuition.

A selection of these works will be presented by Natan, with part of the proceeds donated to KickCancer.