A REVIEW OF THE 2009 BRUNEAF TRIBAL ART FAIR IN BRUSSELS

"THE JUNE 2009 BRUNEAF TRIBAL FAIR IN BRUSSELS"

*photos courtesy of Sam Singer and Clive Loveless

This year there were projections that sales at Bruneaf might be dismal because of the global recession. On the contrary, many dealers reported decent sales. Interestingly, the "flop" happened instead at the Paris auctions, which to date had been virtually immune to the downturn.

Kevin Conru tells me that "Bruneaf was surprisingly okay this year. Not a stellar year, but far from a bad one. As long as the price to quality ratio made sense, folks responded". Kevin's report is overall consistent with others I've heard. The bottom line is that many collectors need that "art fix" and nothing can keep them from getting it for very long, not even a wretched economy. Bruneaf organized an exhibition called "Congo Mythical Masks" to honor the major temporary exhibition called "Persona, Ritual masks and Contemporary Art" organized by the Royal Museum for Central Africa based in Tervuren.

Everyone looks forward to the Bruneaf art week which is both a rich art and social experience. Regretfully, I couldn't attend this year but I still wanted to provide you with some great images to record this exciting event.