Brussels sets its sights on Art Deco on the centenary of the International Exhibition that enshrined it

On the occasion of the centenary of theInternational Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, which consecratedArt Deco internationally in 1925, Brussels is celebrating this movement with a rich program of events throughout 2025. The city, which has always been a protagonist of Art Deco, thus pays tribute to a style characterized by geometric lines, sharp contrasts, and bright colors, symbolizing a modern, elegant, and functional aesthetic.

Art Deco, deeply linked to the imagery of the “Roaring Twenties,” exerted its influence throughout the following decade. As had been the case with Art Nouveau, Art Deco in Brussels found a pioneer in the great architect Victor Horta, whose Palace of Fine Arts (1922-1929) officially established it in the city. This period ushered in a new era for urban architecture, which featured architects such as Michel Polak (1885-1948), Jean-Baptiste Dewin (1873-1948), and Adrien Blomme (1878-1940).

Brussels is now recognized as one of the jewels of Art Deco, thanks to its extraordinary architectural heritage of villas, houses and palaces. Prominent among these is the Koekelberg Basilica, with its imposing copper dome, considered the largest Art Deco building in the world.

Echoes of Art Deco

Among the first planned initiatives is the Echoes of Art Deco exhibition, hosted until May 25, 2025 in the Villa Empain, an Art Deco masterpiece designed by architect Michel Polak in 1930. The villa’s interiors, characterized by gilded elements, brass fixtures and the extensive use of marble, onyx and precious woods, are perfectly suited to the exhibition itinerary that winds its way through furniture, art objects, artifacts and archival materials. Here, therefore, is expressed the encounter between elegance and modernity typical of Art Deco, in which the effects of technical and industrial progress are combined with a renewed creative drive, reflecting the climate of social and cultural ferment of the period. Of particular note is the section devoted to stained glass windows, the absolute protagonists of Art Deco with shapes and colors that often flow into the atmospheres of Cubism and Futurism.

BRAFA Art Fair

The 70th edition of BRAFA Art Fair, the annual exhibition-market dedicated to antiques and modern art, with elements of design and ethnic art, will host 130 exhibitors from sixteen countries from Jan. 26 to Feb. 2 at the Brussels Expo, displaying paintings, furniture, sculpture and rare items. Among the must-see pieces in the year of Art Deco is a tiara made in Paris in 1909 by the Maison Chaumet for the wedding of the daughter of the Count and Countess de Heeren. The first example of a piece of jewelry characterized by the geometric aesthetic that would define the Art Deco style, it features a series of rounded Greek motifs with as many as 2096 diamonds mounted in platinum and gold.

Art Deco Festival 2025

Once again this year, the BANAD Festival invites visitors to discover the treasures of Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture in the Brussels-Capital region, with a special focus specifically on Art Deco. Scheduled over the three weekends of the event are guided tours of some sixty rooms usually closed to the public, some twenty thematic guided tours to explore on foot or by bicycle, lectures for insiders and experts, educational and fun activities suitable for families, the famous Object Fair, and the Restorers & Experts Salon.

Anticipations

During the summer months, you can visit Camouflage, an exhibition at the Horta Museum that will investigate the role of women in art during the interwar period, and Around Art Deco. Sculptures from the interwar period, an immersive exhibition of sculptures in the Van Buuren Gardens. From June through the end of the year, meanwhile, the BELvue Museum will present ART DÉCO. The Style of a Changing Society, which will address the dynamics of the transition between Art Nouveau and Art Deco in light of the social changes of the time.

“The initiatives of Art Deco Year 2025 follow the success of Art Nouveau Year 2023 and its 2 million visitors from abroad,” said Ursula Jone Gandini, Director Italy Brussels Tourist Office. “Exhibitions, guided tours, lectures, and extraordinary openings of buildings normally closed to the public will provide a valuable opportunity to reacquaint oneself with a part of the collective history and better understand the philosophy and peculiarities of the movement, while also offering fans new stimuli and unprecedented perspectives. At the same time, side activities dedicated to families and novices are planned, which will enable everyone to get to know and fully appreciate the extraordinary architectural and artistic richness of Brussels.”

Brussels sets its sights on Art Deco on the centenary of the International Exhibition that enshrined it

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