Preview of Salon de RendezVous: September 9, 2026 | 7 PM
Opening Night: September 10, 2026 | 5 – 9 PM
On View: September 10 – 13, 2026 | 11 AM – 6 PM
June 11, 2026 (Brussels, Belgium) – Following a successful inaugural edition, Brussels Art Week by RendezVous returns from September 10 – 13, 2026, bringing together more than 80 participants, including galleries, artist-run spaces, institutions and private foundations from across the Belgian capital. Traversing multiple neighbourhoods through a curated programme of exhibitions and events, the second edition offers an opportunity to experience Brussels' cultural landscape in its full breadth. Conceived as an annual event through which Brussels presents itself to national and international audiences, Brussels Art Week highlights the diversity and interconnectedness of one of Europe's most dynamic artistic ecosystems. In addition to the programming taking place throughout the city, the 2026 edition’s new central Salon designed by collective Espace Aygo will house a bar, a pop-up bookstore, an intimate cinema and a stage for Salon Encounters, a space for talks and performances.
Structured around a series of focus days, Brussels Art Week reveals the distinct character of the city's neighbourhoods and their artistic ecosystems, guiding visitors to Molenbeek, Anderlecht, Forest, Downtown, Sablon, Ixelles, Saint-Gilles and Uccle. International galleries including Mendes Wood DM, Nosbaum Reding, Bernier/Eliades, Nino Mier, Almine Rech and Martins&Montero, all of which have established a presence in Brussels, will participate alongside long-standing local galleries such as Xavier Hufkens, Maruani Mercier, Spazio Nobile, rodolphe janssen, Sorry We're Closed and STEMS.
What distinguishes Brussels is the close proximity of different artistic models and communities. Alongside internationally recognised galleries, the city continues to sustain younger and more experimental spaces, including Damien & The Love Guru, KIN, IN-GATE and the nomadic initiative SYBIL. Recent additions to the city’s gallery landscape include Lodovico Corsini’s new space in Saint-Gilles, as well as Galerie Emilie Dujat, Colnaghi, Branche & Lebrun and Chiquita Room. This ecosystem extends beyond the commercial sphere to encompass institutions, private foundations, artist-run initiatives and temporary projects, reflecting a dense network of exchange and collaboration. Selected residencies and collective artist studios will also open their doors as part of the Open Studios programme, for which professionals, journalists, and members of the public will be able to schedule studio visits upon request.
This year, the Salon de RendezVous is situated in Forest, just steps away from WIELS. "The Salon is both a central meeting hub and a space of experimentation where a yearly selected artist can develop an ambitious, large-scale and site-specific project to engage in dialogue with other disciplines and audiences," explain RendezVous founders Evelyn Simons and Laure Decock. This year, artist collective Espace Aygo, recipient of a Dutch Design Award and known for its focus on recycling and circular design, will conceive an immersive installation that serves as the setting for a multidisciplinary programme free and open to the public. The project also marks the culmination of the collective's four-year presence in Brussels and their final presentation in the city before relocating. Co-produced with Jester in Genk, the installation will travel there following RendezVous, where it will remain on view as an exhibition from October 10, 2026 – January 10, 2027.
Expanding its role as a gathering place for exchange and discovery, the Salon de RendezVous will bring together a programme of talks, performances, screenings and artist conversations developed in collaboration with various stakeholders such as NW, WIELS, Bozar, Belgian Art Prize and La Loge. RendezVous also invites international performers Stina Fors, Teo Ala-Ruona and Ivan Cheng to engage with Espace Aygo’s installation through a series of performative interventions inspired by the cabaret tradition. A newly introduced cinema dedicated to The Artist Moving Image programme will present a selection of artists' films curated in partnership with Argos Centre for Audiovisual Arts, as well as with participating galleries and graduation projects selected by film curator Max Ferguson. The hub will further host a bookshop featuring publications by participating galleries alongside the Brussels City Guide for Art Lovers, published by MER. Books / Borgerhoff & Lamberigts, as well as a bar designed as a space for informal encounters throughout the week. Extending beyond the venue itself, Park Poétik will activate the surrounding neighbourhood through a series of projects and events in the public realm.
Founded in 2024 by Laure Decock and Evelyn Simons, Brussels Art Week – RendezVous emerged from a desire to create a shared framework through which the city's diverse art community could be experienced as a whole, offering a moment of collective visibility for the cultural scene. The founders expand: “The aim is to understand the needs and ambitions of the city’s art scene, foster synergies, and create a platform that is greater than the sum of its parts. Brussels remains one of the European capitals where artists can still build sustainable practices, supported by its renowned institutions, galleries and independent initiatives. Through RendezVous, we want to celebrate that ecosystem while contributing to its international visibility." As Brussels Art Week enters its second edition, the founders see the initiative as both a platform for discovery and an opportunity to bring greater international visibility to the artists, spaces and initiatives that shape Brussels' contemporary art landscape.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The full list of participating venues can be found at www.rendezvousbxl.com. The complete programme and venue list will be available from July 9, 2026.
Address of Salon de RendezVous
Av. Van Volxem 311
1190 Forest
Belgium
Schedule Overview
Preview of Salon de RendezVous with Espace Aygo
September 9, 2026 | 7 PM
Collective Opening Night at all participating galleries
September 10, 2026 | 5 – 9 PM
Brussels Art Week — Focus Days
September 11, 2026 (Molenbeek, Anderlecht and Forest) | 11 AM – 6 PM
Participating venues open for visits
September 12, 2026 (Sablon and City Center) | 11 AM – 6 PM
Participating venues open for visits
September 13, 2026 (Ixelles, Saint-Gilles and Uccle) | 11 AM – 6 PM
Participating venues open for visits
Participating Galleries
Alice Gallery, Almine Rech, Ancienne Nonciature, Berlin Brussels Art Projects, Bernier/Eliades, Branche & Lebrun, BS Galleria, Chiquita Room, Christie's Belgium, Colnaghi, Damien & The Love Guru, Dorotheum, Émilie Dujat, Esther Verhaeghe – Art Concepts, Galerie Christophe Gaillard, Galerie de la Béraudière, Galerie Eric Mouchet, Galerie Greta Meert, Galerie La Forest Divonne, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Gladstone, IN-GATE Gallery, Irène Laub Gallery, KIN, Lodovico Corsini, Martins & Montero, Maruani Mercier, Mendes Wood DM, Nino Mier Gallery, Nosbaum Reding, Pierre Marie Giraud, Rodolphe Janssen, Schönfeld Gallery, SEPT, Sorry We're Closed, Sotheby's Belgium, Spazio Nobile, Stems Gallery, SYBIL, Wouters Gallery, Xavier Hufkens.
Participating Museums, Institutions and Private Collections
Art Contest, Boghossian Foundation, Cloud Seven, Fondation CAB, Fondation Walter & Nicole Leblanc, Jewish Museum of Belgium, La Loge, MAD Brussels, TheMerode, Vanhaerents Art Collection, WIELS.
Participating Artist-run Initiatives
CCINQ, Celador, Gilbard, Hectolitre, Komplot, Level Five, MINERVE, Pepper's Ghost & Mennowski, SB34, SPASSS, Superdeals, The Green Corridor, The Smoking Room - Chez Michel, URBAN SOCIETIES, WIELS - Affiliate, Winona.
Brussels City Guide for Art Lovers and All-Access Pass
The Brussels City Guide for Art Lovers, published by MER. Books / Borgerhoff & Lamberigts in collaboration with Glean, offers visitors an introduction to Brussels' art scene through four walking routes and two cycling itineraries. These curated journeys lead readers through a selection of essential destinations, highlighting art, culture, and independent initiatives throughout the city. The guide will officially launch on September 9, 2026 and will be available from the RendezVous bookshop as well as bookstores across Belgium. Whilst most of RendezVous’ activities are free of entry, an all-access pass will offer discounted entry for one week to all participating ticketed institutions.
About RendezVous – Brussels Art Week
RendezVous — Brussels Art Week is a yearly recurring event, celebrating the richness and variety of the Brussels contemporary art scene, connecting galleries, institutions, artist-run spaces, and collective artist studios. Each September, after the summer pause, RendezVous demarcates the starting point for all these dynamic art forces to come into play again.
Website | Instagram | https://rendezvousbxl.com/ @rendezvousbxl
About the Founders
Founders Laure Decock and Evelyn Simons have both been operating in the Brussels’ art field and beyond for the past 10 years. Laure has worked for galleries such as Almine Rech Gallery, Albert Baronian and Axel Vervoordt, and served as a consultant with focus on fundraising for WIELS, La Loge and Netwerk Aalst. She was a founding member of Elders Collectief, and managed the Friends & Patrons Programme for the Belgian Pavilion in Venice with Miet Warlop. Evelyn has been active as a curator, both freelance (for Fondazione Prada, Casino Luxembourg, KANAL, FOMU and others) as well as in artistic directional roles at Horst Arts & Music and Fondation CAB. She is co-artistic director for the upcoming Busan Biennale 2026. Their complementary backgrounds combine experiences in working with galleries, private foundations and public institutions; working on strategy, development, partnerships and fundraising; as well as curating and writing on contemporary art. Passionate about the richness and variety of the Brussels’ art scene, they are excited to bundle their expertise, ambitions and network for this celebration of contemporary art in a city they both call home.
Websites | https://evelynsimons.com/ www.lauredecock.com
Image Credits:
Courtesy of RendezVous – Brussels Art Week 2026.