It’s amazing how much you can do in 72 hours!

After a good night’s rest, we were off to Tour & Taxis for our visit to BRAFA, The Brussels Antiques and Fine Arts Fair.  Arriving a little too early for BRAFA ended up being a good thing as we came upon an unexpected exhibiton, “It is our Earth 2, from Kyoto to Copenhagen.”  Based on the concept of sustainable development, this fascinating and huge exhibit takes the perspective of “the reconciliation of development with the planet’s resources, without placing blame, but without ignoring the issues either.” It focuses on the “harmonious development of our society, going beyond the single issue of global warming.” The exhibition is structured around “time”: Time for the Earth; Time for Mankind; Time for Ecosystems and Time for Solutions. Extended through May 2010, it is worth a visit.

On to BRAFA! This was the 55th edition of the show – but it is only in the last five years that the show has begun to enjoy international recognition as one of the finer art and antiques shows in the world! It is without question a wonderful show. The show is held in a very large space with only 120 exhibitors. In comparison to American shows, European venues are generally much larger – and so are dealer spaces. People come to BRAFA from different countries and cultures – and exhibitors at BRAFA represent a diverse mix of tastes:  ancient artifacts, tribal pieces, French furnishings of the 18th century, 20th century furniture and accessories, contemporary art, photography, early tapestries, Chinese export porcelain, silver, jewelry and more. The show is strictly vetted for authenticity, but quality is not defined by price and there are varying price ranges.

For most of the people in our group, this was their first visit to BRAFA – and I can tell you they all enjoyed it!  It was my first trip to an art and antiques show as “press” and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the wonderful merchandise being offered, and catching up with old friends – but from a new perspective! Here is a sampling of what we saw:

After a long day, dinner was scheduled at the Hotel Amigo. The plan was greatly appreciated – but even more so after eating at The Bocconi Restaurant which serves delicious Italian food! I highly recommend it. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.